Overview
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented handpicked traditional items during a mid‑June two‑nation visit to France and Slovakia, with coverage and gift lists published June 19, 2026.
- French President Emmanuel Macron received a hand‑crafted Kalamkari Mahabharata painting and First Lady Brigitte Macron was given a Pochampally silk stole to highlight India’s textile and storytelling arts.
- In Slovakia, Prime Minister Robert Fico was gifted a hand‑knotted Kashmiri silk carpet while President Peter Pellegrini received Dokra metalwork, Himroo textiles and Thewa cufflinks that represent region‑specific crafts.
- Speaker Richard Raši was presented copies of the Charaka Samhita and Susruta Samhita plus Thekua, signaling an emphasis on India’s ancient Ayurvedic knowledge and regional culinary tradition.
- Reporting frames the exchanges as cultural diplomacy that complements Modi’s strategic and economic engagements on the trip and aims to boost artisan livelihoods by showcasing GI‑tagged and regionally rooted handicrafts.