NEW DELHI - Underlining global confidence in India’s growing stature, French President Nicolas Sarkozy Friday warmly congratulated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his re-election and invited him to Paris as chief guest on France’s national day July 14.

‘Through the elections which were recently concluded and which constitute a remarkable testimony to their attachment to democracy, the Indian people have chosen to repose once again their trust in the representatives of the Congress Party and the alliance that it leads,’ Sarkozy said in his message to Manmohan Singh.

‘In this I discern a deep tribute to the action that you have undertaken at the helm of the government of India since 2004,’ Sarkozy said.

Underlining his desire to intensify strategic partnership with India, Sarzkoy said he has ‘chosen to make India a privileged partner of France.

‘..and, in future, I intend to enhance this major orientation of the foreign policy I have defined,’ he wrote.

‘I would be very pleased to welcome you in Paris on July 14 on the occasion of the ceremonies marking the National Day of France, at which I wish to make India the Chief Guest this year,’ he wrote.

Five days ago, Sarkozy had written to President Pratibha Patil, congratulating India for the ‘remarkable conduct’ of the Indian general elections and reaffirmed support for a bigger role for New Delhi in global bodies.

In a letter to his Indian counterpart, Sarkozy paid tribute to ‘the faithfulness of the largest democracy in the world to the values of liberty, people’s sovereignty and respect of diversity in secularism’.

France has backed India for a permanent seat in an expanded UN Security Council.

Their ties touched a new peak last year when France became the first country to sign a bilateral civil nuclear cooperation pact with India.