NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to France gifted a handcrafted wooden alphabet set to Mirabel Rose Vance, the daughter of US Vice President JD Vance, and a jigsaw puzzle, featuring Indian folk art, to her brother. The alphabet set, designed to help children aged 3+, contains 56 letters and a four-color stamp pad to aid in improving spellings and sentence formation.
The puzzle showcased Kalighat Pat from West Bengal, known for its bold outlines and vibrant colors, depicting gods, myths, and social themes. It also included a Santhal Painting, using earthy tones to represent tribal life, rituals, and nature, and a Madhubani Painting from Bihar, famous for its intricate patterns, bright colors, and mythology-inspired motifs.
The meeting took place in Paris on Tuesday, where PM Modi met JD Vance, his Indian-origin wife, and their children on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit. The occasion was made even more special as PM Modi joined the Vance family in celebrating the birthday of their son, Vivek. Sharing a moment from the meeting, Modi posted on X: “Had a wonderful meeting with US Vice President JD Vance and his family. We had a great conversation on various subjects. Delighted to join them in celebrating the joyous birthday of their son, Vivek!”
JD Vance responded with appreciation, noting that his children enjoyed the gifts. “Prime Minister Modi was gracious and kind, and our kids really enjoyed the gifts. I’m grateful to him for the wonderful conversation,” he said in a post on social media.
The meeting between Modi and Vance took place following the AI Action Summit, which Modi co-chaired with French President Emmanuel Macron. The summit brought together global leaders and policymakers to discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on society. In his address, Vance praised Modi’s stance on AI, stating, “I appreciate PM Modi’s point. AI will facilitate and make people more productive. It is not going to replace human beings; it will never replace human beings.”
Following his engagements in France, PM Modi emplaned for his visit to the US scheduled for February 12-13 at the invitation of President Donald Trump. This will be their first meeting since Trump assumed office for his second term.