Marseille, Feb. 11 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi, upon his arrival in the French city of Marseille, highlighted the significance of the Indian Consulate in the city, which will play a key role in strengthening "people-to-people" ties between India and France.

Notably, PM Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron will be inaugurating the Indian Consulate in Marseille - India's second diplomatic mission in France, after the Embassy in Paris.

Marseille is a key gateway for trade between India and France due to its strategic location on the Mediterranean coast, it is also among the entry points for the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

He also mentioned that he would pay tribute to the Indian soldiers who fell as "martyr...