Paris: Ahead of the Bastille Day celebrations in France, the Indian contingent expressed their excitement and said that it is a matter of pride for them to march with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the guest of honour.

Lt Commander, Indian Navy, Disha Amrith said that they have been practising in France since June 8 and the entire contingent is feeling very proud.

Speaking to ANI, Lt Commander Disha Amrith said, “We can’t express what we are feeling right now. I am sure the entire contingent is feeling the same. PM Modi is the Chief Guest…we feel very fortunate. Here we have started practising from the 8th of June. Before this, we did practice in India for over a month”.

She further said that the interaction and tuning between the Indian and French forces is going pretty well and the two talk about each other’s culture.

“Everybody knows the past, the World War I and II…also there are exercises that we undertake with the French. Exercise Varuna is an annual exercise, and it happened last in January this year. We are 64 men and four officers,” she added.

Subedar Satinder Pal Singh, from the Punjab Regiment, said, that is a proud feeling and the perception of people about India is very positive and strong.

“We are feeling very proud. The whole Punjab Regiment is very fortunate, that our ancestors did good work. The sacrifice they laid 107 years before”.

On being asked about PM Modi being the guest of honour at the event, he added, “It is a very proud feeling, when we will march ahead saluting and PM Modi will be sitting in front of us”.

He further said that the interaction of the Punjab Regiment with French forces has been very positive.

“The interaction has been very nice. They are very positive people, they helped us, became our friends and also gave us gifts and we will also give them gifts. We are here for eight days practising. As we are interacting with people, their perception of us is very strong,” he said.

At the invitation of France President Emmanuel Macron, PM Modi will be the Guest of Honour on France's National Day on July 14.

Three Indian Air Force Rafale fighter jets, as part of the military contingent, are poised to participate in the Bastille Day flypast over the Champs Elysees, Paris.

The French traditional military parade is held in Paris during Bastille Day on July 14. PM Modi's visit will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the "strategic partnership" between France and India.

Prime Minister's visit is expected to herald the next phase in the India-France Strategic Partnership by setting new and ambitious goals for our strategic, cultural, scientific, academic, and economic cooperation, including in a wide range of industries, as per the official statement released by the Indian Embassy in France.

India and France defend the goals and tenets of the United Nations Charter, which serve as the cornerstone of collaboration between the two nations in the Indo-Pacific region, and share a vision for peace and security, particularly in Europe and the Indo-Pacific

"This historic visit of PM Modi will also deliver common initiatives in order to respond to the key challenges of our time, including climate change, biodiversity loss and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals and will be an opportunity for India and France to reaffirm their commitment to multilateralism, including in the context of India's G20 Presidency," the official statement added.

India and France defend the goals and tenets of the United Nations Charter, which serve as the cornerstone of collaboration between the two nations in the Indo-Pacific region, and share a vision for peace and security, particularly in Europe and the Indo-Pacific.