Paris, February 11: A surprising incident took place at the Artificial Intelligence Summit in Paris on Tuesday (February 11) when French President Emmanuel Macron ignored Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s handshake. A video has surfaced on social media in which it can be seen that Emmanuel Macron ignores Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was waiting with extended hand for a handshake with the French President.
The video shows that Emmanuel Macron enters the hall and meets US Vice President JD Vance. He is seen shaking hand and welcoming the US Vice President warmly. Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is seen seated next to JD Vance, moves his hand forward for a handshake with the French President. However, Emmanuel Macron ignores PM Narendra Modi's Hand and starts interacting and welcoming people sitting in row behind PM Narendra Modi.
PM Narendra Modi, however, handled the situation and waved his extended hand at European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Leyen then shook hand with PM Modi. Emmanuel Macron completely ignored PM Modi and went ahead to meet other guests present at the spot.
Macron interacted warmly with other leaders at the summit. He was seen exchanging cheek kisses with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and greeting other participants without hesitation.
About the AI Summit
The Artificial Intelligence Summit is being held in Paris from February 10 to 11, 2025. The event brings together world leaders, tech experts, and policymakers to discuss the future of AI.
Macron’s gesture has raised concerns on social media, with people questioning if it was a deliberate move or just an oversight. There are also video of Emmanuel Macron warmly greeting PM Narendra Modi while he is stepping out of his car for the summit. So far, neither Indian Government nor France has made an official statement regarding the incident.
Truth Behind Viral Video
While the video itself is authentic, its interpretation is misleading. Reports confirm that the two leaders had already exchanged a handshake before this particular moment and had entered the conference hall together, interacting with other dignitaries. A full video of the event confirms the sequence of events from their arrival.
Since Prime Minister Modi’s arrival in Paris on Monday, he has met President Macron multiple times. Macron even hosted a welcome dinner for Modi and other world leaders, where both leaders were seen warmly embracing and engaging in light-hearted conversations. This directly contradicts any claims of strained relations between them.
