Modi wraps up visit to Europe

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday returned to India after concluding a successful three-nation, nine day tour of France, Germany and Canada, landing at the Palam Air Force Station in the national capital.
Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including the party’s Delhi unit chief Satish Upadhyay and Vijay Goel, were present to receive Prime Minister Modi, garlanding him and offering him bouquets after his fruitful trip.
Travelling first to France, the Prime Minister addressed the UNESCO at the organisation’s headquarters at Place de Fontenoy in Paris, lauding the initiatives taken by it and adding that the programme to educate and support the girl child in India was the one which is closest to his heart.
In what was one of the most important deals inked during his visit of France, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he had requested French President Francois Hollande for 36 Rafale jets in ‘fly away’ condition as quickly as possible, which has been seen as a huge boost to the ageing air fleet of the Indian Air Force.
During his visit, India and France also agreed that a Joint Working Group (JWG) on counter-terrorism will meet and formulate the modalities of greater cooperation on the matter, after agreeing to intensify their cooperation within the framework of JWG on counter-terrorism, including on information and intelligence sharing on terror networks and working together to share experiences on dealing with the growing phenomenon of radicalisation.
Prime Minister Modi also paid homage to Indian soldiers martyred during World War I at a memorial in Neuve Chapelle.