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New Delhi: French President Emmanuel Macron wowed many at the end of the Indian Prime Minister’s recent visit to France by ending his linguistic switch with Narendra Modi, bidding him goodbye in Hindi. In a special video message, Macron to PM Modi called him ‘Priya Mitra Narendra’ or ‘Dear Friend Narendra,’ even adding ‘Mujhe bahut khushi hui’ to top it. This gesture was soon picked up on social media and held much regard in India and France.
The selection of Hindi didn’t come as a shock to Macron out of nowhere. Certainly a reflection on the friendship between the two rulers over the years. In his message, Macron congratulated PM Modi on his visit, highlighted its fruitful nature, and hoped that they would meet again soon. He ended his Speech with ‘Jai Hind’ and then wished for the friendship between India and France to last “forever”.
Priye mitr @NarendraModi. pic.twitter.com/BXPVenkrXi
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 18, 2026
From a geo-strategic and geo-political point of view, increasingly, Macron has been addressing Modi by his name as being his close friend, ‘Priya Mitra’. The India-French cooperation in the realm of global security in the field of defense, space cooperation, innovation, technology, trade, and security has been growing robustly in recent times. In their official meetings and speeches, the two leaders have frequently taken to the air and to the camera to state the friendship they have between their nations.
PM Modi also had several deep conversations with the two leaders during his visit to Paris about diverse topics, including start-ups, infrastructure, health-care and trade, among others, with AI, Artificial Intelligence and start-ups taking a prominent place. During this visit, the two leaders had comprehensive exchanges with respect to various matters, such as artificial intelligence and start-up ecosystems, infrastructure, health care, and trade. They also took stock of the achievements of the India-France Special Global Strategic Partnership and talked about cooperation on advanced technologies and innovation for the future.
Macron-Modi friendship has been seen at various diplomatic occasions. Both leaders have broken the “rules of diplomacy” by making posts on social media about themselves and others, with many saying very nice things about the other, as well as goodwill gestures like selfies with members of the other commanding forces. Yet it was Macron who was dismissed as “my friend” by PM Modi when he met him in Nice, France, recently.
Macron’s valedictory speech is also seen as symbolic, emphasizing the strong relations between India and France. Addressing the audience in Hindi, the French President paid a glowing tribute to the culture of India and spoke about France’s importance on India’s ties with France. As Macron and his counterpart exemplify more cooperation in various fields, their heartfelt message, ‘Priya Mitra,’ is itself a testament of the strong friendship ties between the two nations and their leaders.
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