‘BD welcomes France proposal to set up satellite factory’

Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh has welcomed the proposal of France relating to setting up a satellite factory here, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said on Thursday.

Following the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s invitation to French President Emmanuel Macron, he will visit Dhaka on September 11 and during this time the setting up of the satellite factory will be talked, as said by Foreign Ministry sources.

In response to this question, Foreign Minister said, “We have successfully launched the Bangabandhu Satellite with the assistance of France.

We want to launch two more satellites. French technology is state-of-the-artin this regard.” he said.

“They have proposed that we consider setting up a satellite factory here.

We are considering it. But we have not taken any final decision,” he said during a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.

He further said, “We visited France last year. Then they proposed it.

We are analysing all the matters. I think we can welcome it.”

The Minister also said that Bangladesh will purchase 10 airbus from France.

“They want to sell some aircrafts. We have agreed to buy.

We will buy ten airbus from them.

Of these, there will be two cargo planes.

We want Boeing and Air.

The process has been delayed due to the dollar crisis.”

On Wednesday, Foreign Minister told the journalists at the Foreign Service Academy that Bangladesh and France would discuss ways to enhance trade and investment between the two countries apart from discussing issues like climate change and regulated migration if the French President visits Bangladesh next month.

Bangladesh will welcome him as an initiative has been sent for his visit to Bangladesh after the G-20 Leaders Summit in New Delhi, he further said at that time.

“The president of France has been invited to visit Bangladesh and if he comes, Bangladesh will welcome him,” he told reporters at the Foreign Service Academy.

It is expected that both the countries would discuss multifaceted issues for deepening the bilateral ties in the days to come.

This would be the first visit of any French President in three decades. In 1990, the then President Francois Matterrand visited Bangladesh.

It is expected that this time Emmanuel will visit Bangladesh and talk to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on various bilateral issues to deepen the ties between the two nations.