PM Modi, President Hollande travel on Delhi Metro to Gurgaon

New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President François Hollande travelled on the Delhi Metro's Yellow Line to Gurgaon on Monday to participate in the inauguration of the interim Secretariat of the International Solar Alliance.

Both leaders were accompanied by a bevy of senior ministers and officials who were part of their respective delegations and security personnel.

The metro route was completely sanitised for the VVIP travel between Delhi and Gurgaon. The metro station where they disembarked was declared out of bounds for the general public during the arrival and departure of the Indian and French delegations.

President Hollande will also lay the foundation stone of the ISA headquarters. The ISA is a specialized platform for cooperation among 121 solar resource rich countries which is aimed at increasing utilisation and promotion of solar energy.

The Paris declaration on International Solar Alliance states that countries share the collective ambition to undertake innovative and concerted efforts for reducing the cost of finance and cost of technology for immediate deployment of competitive solar generation.

Hollande, who arrived in Chandigarh yesterday, took a tour of the Rock Garden and attended the India France Business Summit along with Prime Minister Modi.

Earlier today, Hollande was accorded a ceremonial reception at the forecourts of Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Later, he held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Modi at the Hyderabad House, and it was followed by signing of agreements in various key sectors.

On January 26, the French President will witness the Republic Day parade at Rajpath as the chief guest. This is the fifth time that a serving President of France will be the Chief Guest at India's Republic Day function.