Airbus talks progressing
French Ambassador to Bangladesh Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet said on Tuesday negotiations between Airbus and Biman Bangladesh Airlines are progressing well, while Bangladesh should not feel compelled to choose between major powers or geopolitical blocs.
Speaking at the DCAB Talk organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) at the Jatiya Press Club, the ambassador said the proposed Airbus purchase should be viewed as part of a long-term partnership between Bangladesh and Europe rather than simply a deal for 10 aircraft.
“I can assure you that negotiations are still going on very well and with very good results,” he said, adding that he had met Airbus negotiators before the weekend and that “things are moving forward”.
The remarks came amid reports that Biman is considering an additional order for 11 Boeing aircraft during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to New York for the UN General Assembly.
Bangladesh already signed a $3.7 billion agreement with Boeing in April for 14 aircraft. Separately, Biman has been pursuing a proposed purchase of 10 Airbus aircraft.
The ambassador said Biman had expressed interest in Airbus following technical evaluation and discussions, and argued that having both Airbus and Boeing aircraft could reduce dependence on a single manufacturer.
He highlighted the Airbus A350’s long-haul capability, saying it could allow a direct flight from Dhaka to the US East Coast without a stop.
“For very good technical reasons, Biman has chosen Airbus. Not for political reasons,” he said.
He declined to disclose details of the ongoing negotiations, stressing that the eventual agreement would be between Airbus and Biman, not the French government. “It’s an Airbus contract. It’s not a French government contract,” he said.
Séré-Charlet said “Of course, 10 aircraft is a big contract, but for us, it’s much more than that. It is the fact and desire for Bangladesh to engage in a long-term partnership with Europeans in the civil aviation field.”
He said France wanted a relationship based on long-term cooperation rather than a transaction in which a company simply sold a product and left.
The ambassador also reiterated France’s call for a “level playing field” for European companies in Bangladesh.
He said France had identified 61 non-tariff barriers affecting trade and was discussing them with Bangladesh’s Ministry of Commerce and European partners.
He added that France was ready to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement with Bangladesh, describing an FTA as a mechanism for creating a level playing field for companies on both sides.
Bangladesh-France bilateral trade has crossed €4.5 billion, according to the ambassador, but around 95 per cent of Bangladesh’s exports to France consist of ready-made garments, creating a significant trade imbalance from the French perspective.
Asked how France could help Bangladesh maintain strategic autonomy without being forced to choose between Washington and Beijing, the ambassador said strategic autonomy did not mean isolation or choosing one partner over another.
“Bangladesh will never have to choose between Washington and Brussels,” he said.
“We don’t see a West against an East, or a North against a Global South. We don’t believe in that at all,” he said.
The ambassador said France was a founding member of both the European Union and NATO but believed countries should retain the ability to make their own decisions.
He cited former French President Charles de Gaulle’s approach to NATO as an example of strategic autonomy, saying France could remain part of an alliance while retaining its independent decision-making capacity.
“When we sell Rafale, we give the key to the country which buys the plane. We don’t decide for them, we don’t block them; they are autonomous,” he said.
He said France was prepared to develop cooperation with Bangladesh’s Army, Navy and Air Force while respecting the sovereignty and autonomy of both sides.
The concept of strategic autonomy is also reflected in the 2023 Bangladesh-France joint statement, which described sovereignty and strategic autonomy as key principles for a stable, multipolar world and welcomed greater cooperation in strategic sectors.
The ambassador rejected the idea that closer relations with France or Europe would require Bangladesh to distance itself from the United States, China or other partners.
“Partnership is not about excluding anyone; it is about working together with everyone,” he said.
He said France wanted to cooperate with Bangladesh because of what he described as the country’s commitment to multilateralism and its contribution to UN peacekeeping.
Responding to a question about human rights and press freedom, the envoy said he was “very, very shocked” by attacks on the offices of The Daily Star and Prothom Alo in December.
“We do believe in press freedom. Press freedom is the key to democracy. Without press freedom, there is no democracy.”
The ambassador said it was not his role to publicly comment on Bangladesh’s domestic affairs, but added that France raised issues directly with the government through diplomatic channels.
He said France and the European Union were cooperating with Bangladesh in areas including human rights, judicial reform and police reform.
“French diplomacy actively supports Bangladesh in its major transitions, whether it involves the political reforms being implemented by the government or its upcoming graduation from the category of Least Developed Countries (LDCs),” he said.
The ambassador also highlighted France’s recognition of the State of Palestine, noting that Tuesday marked one year since President Emmanuel Macron announced the decision at the United Nations in New York.
The ambassador said France wanted to deepen economic cooperation with Bangladesh beyond garments, pointing to aerospace, industrial equipment and technology as areas where French companies are already active.
He also stressed France’s role in climate diplomacy, noting its role in the 2015 Paris Agreement and saying more than 80 per cent of French Development Agency funding in Bangladesh was directed towards climate resilience and biodiversity conservation.
The Ambassador also highlighted France’s “Feminist Foreign Policy”, saying the country was seeking greater participation of women in diplomacy and international affairs.
“We want to increase French connections in Bangladesh, and increase the participation of Bangladeshi students and employees in French organisations,” he said.
DCAB president AKM Moinuddin and its General secretary Emrul Kayesh also spoke on the occasion.
