Nice Mayor Eric Ciotti on Sunday, 14 June extended a warm public welcome to Indians following a brief private meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the latter's official visit to the French Riviera city. The gesture underscored the personal diplomacy that accompanied what the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described as a visit yielding 'several bilateral outcomes with strong focus on innovation and future tech.'

Ciotti's Welcome and the Private Meeting

Mayor Ciotti, who was present at Nice airport to receive PM Modi alongside other dignitaries, described his interaction with the Prime Minister as an opportunity to express gratitude. 'This private meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also an opportunity to warmly thank him for choosing Nice,' Ciotti said. He added: 'He is at home here. Indians are always welcome in our city.'

The Mayor further positioned Nice as a globally open destination. 'Nice is open to the world, open to talent, to investors, to entrepreneurs, and to all those who wish to build partnerships for the future,' he noted, adding that the city seeks to 'strengthen our ties with India' in a spirit of friendship and trust.

Modi-Macron Talks: A Special Global Strategic Partnership

PM Modi had arrived in Nice on Saturday at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. On Sunday, the two leaders held formal talks covering defence, technology, space, security, counter-terrorism, and innovation. In a post on social media platform X, Modi wrote: 'Today's talks with my friend, President Macron, were exceptionally productive. Considering the longstanding friendship between our nations, we have decided to elevate our ties to a Special Global Strategic Partnership.'

This elevation marks a significant deepening of the India-France strategic relationship, which has historically been anchored in defence cooperation — most notably the Rafale fighter jet deal — and is now expanding into emerging technology and space sectors.

Departure for Bratislava and the Road Ahead

PM Modi departed Nice for Bratislava on Sunday, concluding the first leg of his European tour. Before leaving, he wrote on X: 'Nice to have met you in Nice. A productive first leg indeed. The India-France partnership will keep scaling new heights. See you in Evian and Paris…' — a reference to further engagements with President Macron scheduled later in the tour.

He is set to undertake a State visit to Slovakia from 14 to 16 June at the invitation of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, making this the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the Central European nation in recent memory.

Significance of the Nice Stop

The choice of Nice as the venue for the Modi-Macron summit — rather than Paris — is notable. It signals a deliberate informality designed to facilitate candid dialogue, a format both leaders have favoured in past bilateral meetings. The bilateral outcomes, though not detailed in full by the MEA, were described as carrying a 'strong focus on innovation and future tech,' suggesting movement on semiconductor supply chains, space collaboration, and possibly AI governance frameworks that both nations have been discussing at multilateral forums.

With Modi's European tour continuing into Slovakia and further engagements in France, the full scope of agreements reached in Nice is expected to be made public in the coming days.