The French Consulate General here joined French missions in the country in celebrating Bastille Day with various online programmes. French Consul General Catherine Suard paid floral tributes at the French war memorial.
T. Arun, District Collector, and other dignitaries paid homage at the memorial that serves as a tribute to soldiers martyred in the First World War.
In a French National Day message streamed on French Embassy’s Facebook page, Emmanuel Lenain, French Ambassador, hailed the exceptional solidarity and friendship shared by France and India during the COVID-19 crisis.
While India had provided much-needed equipment and drugs to French hospitals, France had reciprocated with the French Development Agency granted €200 million (about ₹1,600 crore) towards social services for the most vulnerable sections.
Exceptional package
The Ambassador said an exceptional package involving serological kits, ventilators and expertise would be announced shortly.
In a message, Ms. Suard expressed confidence that the strength of the Indo-French relationship, which was deeply rooted in the City, would “enable us to overcome this crisis”.
She also disclosed that her tenure as Consul General in Puducherry was coming to an end shortly and that she would be leaving India in a few weeks.
Due to the pandemic, the celebrations were confined to digital streaming of events by branches of the French mission across social media platforms.
