Varanasi, March 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron today inaugurated Nothern India's largest solar power plant in Mirzapur district's Chhanvey block of Uttar Pradesh. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi, Uttar Pradesh Governor, Ram Naik and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath received the French President and his wife Brigitte at the airport.

According to a report on ANI, Prime Minister Modi and the French President pressed a button to energize the solar panels and dedicated the 75 MW facility to the people. Reportedly, PM Modi and the French President, in a joint statement on Saturday, talked about increasing the two countries' maritime engagement. This becomes significant in the context of China's growing might and strategic posturing in the Indian ocean region.

President Macron arrived in India on Friday. Reportedly, since then, he has signed deals worth $16 trillion dollars with India, advised Indian students and interacted with them on myriad topics, and most importantly, created an outline for India-France strategic partnership with PM Modi. The last visit of President Macron to India was in January 2016, when he was the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations. Prime Minister Modi had visited France in June last year.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 12, 2018 12:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).