UNB, Dhaka :
President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron is likely to visit Bangladesh soon after the G20 Leaders Summit next month.
Bangladesh and France are working on the visit and Macron is likely to be here on September 11, said a diplomatic source. They also said he will leave Dhaka on September 12.
However, there is no official announcement regarding the visit that is seen as further efforts to deepen ties between the two countries on all key fronts.
Asked about the visit, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen told reporters on Wednesday that the President of France has been invited to visit Bangladesh and if he comes, Bangladesh will welcome him.
He, however, did not want to mention the date of his arrival in Dhaka. “We are working on this.”
At the invitation of the President of the French Republic, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina visited France in November, 2021.
Apart from holding bilateral talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the French President will visit Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in city’s Dhanmondi to pay homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
The two leaders are scheduled to attend G20 Summit in New Delhi on September 9-10.
France and Bangladesh welcomed the growth of their friendship, and highlighted their shared will to develop and deepen all aspects of their partnership through regular political consultations for strategic guidance.
Both countries reiterated their determination to enhance cooperation in all areas, including politics and diplomacy, defence and security, trade and investment, sustainable development and climate change, and education and cultural exchange.
Both countries also recognized the importance of sustained and substantive cooperation in relevant regional and multilateral fora.
Bangladesh and France stated their will to further develop the defence and security component of their partnership.
To that end, both countries agreed to strengthen dialogue and continue their cooperation, in particular the area of training, which was launched during this visit.
Furthermore, they committed to stepping up cooperation in the area of defence equipment based on the needs expressed and each party’s ability to respond to them, including through capacity building and potential technology transfer. In this regard, both parties welcomed the signing a Letter of intent on defence cooperation.
France and Bangladesh shared the same vision for a free, open, peaceful, secure and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, based on international law and with shared prosperity for all.
