Ministry of External Affairs Government of India

At the invitation of the Government of the Republic of France, Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu will be visiting Paris from 9 to 11 November 2018, to represent Government of India in the activities commemorating the centenary of the Armistice of World War I. Heads of State / Heads of Government of over 50 countries and their representatives are expected to participate in the centenary activities. On 11 November, Vice President will attend the ceremony to commemorate the armistice of World War I at Arc de Triomphe, presided over by French President, Emmanuel Macron.

As part of the Armistice Centenary, the French Government will also be hosting the Paris Peace Forum, which will take place in Paris from 11-13 November 2018. The Forum is envisioned as a recurring, annual event to promote governance solutions in five key areas: Peace and Security, Environment, Development, New Technologies, and Inclusive Economy. Vice President will speak at the high-level panel discussion titled, "Dialogue of the Continents on Global Governance”.

Vice President will also address the Indian community on 9 November 2018 and will inaugurate the Indian War Memorial at Villers Guislain on 10 November 2018. He will also hold a number of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Paris Peace Forum.

Background:

Armistice Centenary

India was one of largest contributors of soldiers during World War I. India’s participation at the Armistice Centenary ceremony will be a befitting tribute to the sacrifices made by these soldiers, underlining India’s historical contribution to global peace and security.

Paris Peace Forum

The aim of the Paris Peace Forum is to establish a global platform to reaffirm the importance of multilateralism, international cooperation and reform of global governance institutions. The Forum provides a platform for discussion and debate with special emphasis on civil society initiatives and shares experiences and innovative solutions involving all the stakeholders in governance.

This year, of the 120 projects selected under the five themes of Peace and Security, Environment, Development, New Technologies, and Inclusive Economy, 5 projects are from India. These include:

• ACT project by Earth5R: Seeks to improve the quality of the environment, and reduce plastic waste via new sustainable business models.
• Zero-budget Natural Farming by Govt. of Andhra Pradesh: This project enables farmers to improve soil fertility, reduce costs, reduce irrigation, and increase yield while preserving the quality of the production.
• Decentralized electricity network based on solar energy over blockchain by NIMRAY-Solar.
• Network of Southern Think Thanks: A collaborative academic forum for the South by the South which aims at generating, consolidating and sharing knowledge on approaches to international development
• STAR C (Solar Technology Application Resource-Centre) by International Solar Alliance: Aims at building a network of technical training and research centres in order to promote knowledge dissemination and capacity-building with regards to solar energy and infrastructure projects.