Paris looks to bolster ties with Dhaka

France is gearing up its engagement with Bangladesh in the areas of trade, economy, defence, and climate change ahead of a possible visit to France by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina later this year.

French delegations will tour Dhaka to discuss political and economic issues among others as the two countries are preparing several deals, including Climate Adaptation Pact worth 1 billion euro ($1.1 billion) and the purchase of aircraft and satellite from Airbus during the PM’s visit, said French Ambassador Marie Masdupuy at a press briefing at her residence yesterday.

The schedule of Hasina’s visit, which is being finalised, comes after the landmark visit by French President Emmanuel Macron in September last year.

“Our leaders are going to have a few meetings, including political consultation, between our foreign ministries soon,” Masdupuy said.

During President Macron’s visit, Bangladesh committed to buying 10 new A350 airplanes from Airbus, a multinational aerospace corporation of Europe, and signed a letter of intent with France for buying the Bangabandhu-2 Earth Observation Satellite System.

“I am very hopeful. Airbus technology is far better,” the envoy said when asked if the agreements on buying aircraft and the satellite from Airbus will be signed as US company Boeing has also been pursuing the sales of its aircraft.

French industrialists and military officials are holding regular visits and exchanges of ideas with all sectors including with the navy and air force in Bangladesh, said Masdupuy, but did not elaborate.

French funding agency AFD will have a policy dialogue with the Economic Relations Division between July and September to further the economic cooperation.

There is also higher level of interests from Bangladeshi and French companies for investments. Also, more businesspeople and students from Bangladesh are going to France. To reciprocate it, a number of French universities will also be coming to Dhaka and Chattogram to attract students from here, said the French envoy.

French companies are interested in the areas of energy, goods, shipbuilding, food, while some Bangladeshi companies are interested to invest in France, especially in the pharmaceutical sector.

A large business delegation from France will also be visiting Bangladesh soon, said Masdupuy.

The two countries will also hold migration dialogue as more Bangladeshis are migrating to France in recent times, she added.

The diplomat said France will support Bangladesh’s skills development, facilitate emergence of new industries that can help the transition from LDC to a developing country.

Diversifying trade and upholding labour rights will be important challenges for Bangladesh in the post-LDC period, Masdupuy said.

On a different note, she said Bangladesh’s people and its public opinion are being targeted by massive informational manipulation, distorting the reality when it comes to what France is doing with Ukraine.

The diplomat said since early May, she noticed some videos on YouTube channels and other social media platforms in Bangladesh, explaining that France has troops in Ukraine.

“I wanted to alert you to that because you are a very professional and serious media. And it’s your duty to not only debunk all these but to pre-bunk,” she said.

The envoy said Russia has targeted countries like Bangladesh for such information manipulation, which can have serious consequences.

Masdupuy said Russian President Vladimir Putin has no limits and if he would win the Ukraine war, Russia could be invading some other states.