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'Nao pe Charcha' for Modi, Hollande

Last Updated 08 April 2015, 20:52 IST

After “Chai pe Charcha” with US President Barak Obama, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have a “Nao pe Charcha” (discussions during a boat ride) with French President Francois Hollande on river Seine in his first trip to Paris.

“The two leaders will undertake a boat ride on Seine. You can call it ‘Nao pe Charcha’, to be followed by a banquet,” foreign secretary S Jaishankar said here on the eve of Modi’s departure for Europe.

The foreign office did not elaborate on how long the April 10 river cruise would last and which parts of Paris Hollande will showcase to his visiting guest.

For tourists, the two popular starting points for Seine cruise are Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. Both offer the riders an opportunity to explore the beautiful river banks, which are UNESCO heritage sites.

In January, Modi had a “Chai pe Charcha” (discussions over tea) with Obama, in which he had prepared tea for the US President, who was India’s Chief Guest for the Republic Day parade.

Four months before his date with Obama, Modi hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping and the two leaders spent several minutes on a swing on Sabarmati riverfront in Ahmedabad. The swing-time was followed by a cultural event and a gala dinner before the two leaders sat down for business in Delhi.

A day after the Paris boat ride, Modi would travel to Lille war memorial to pay respect to more than 10,000 Indian soldiers who died in World War I. Many of them breathed their last on the European soil.

Because of the appreciation he had received for his sartorial choice, there are speculations on what could be Modi's wardrobe choice when he lands in Paris, considered as the world’s fashion capital.

From Paris, he would travel to Germany where he will visit the Berlin railway station that connects Germany to most parts of continental Europe.

“Modernisation of Indian railways is close to his heart and station development is a part of the modernisation plan,” said Jaishankar, explaining the rationale behind Modi’s visit to the busy railway terminus.
 

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(Published 08 April 2015, 20:52 IST)

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