French president Macron due in Dhaka on 11 Sept
French president Emmanuel Macron will visit Dhaka on 11 September after the G20 summit in New Delhi.
This would be the first trip of a French president to Dhaka after three decades. Then president François Mitterrand visited Bangladesh in 1990.
Diplomatic sources in Dhaka and Paris on Wednesday confirmed Macron's visit to Bangladesh.
In context of the Russia-Ukraine war and the upcoming national election in Bangladesh, diplomatic analysts consider the visits of politicians of two important countries important.
A source said French president Emmanuel Macron is visiting Bangladesh at the invitation of prime minister Sheikh Hasina. He will hold a bilateral meeting with prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
He will pay tributes to the father of the nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum on Road No 32 in Dhanmondi.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina visited France in November 2021. At the time, she invited Macron to visit Bangladesh.
Two countries laid emphasis on the bilateral cooperation in trade, investment and defence during the visit of the prime minister.
Two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation in Paris after the meeting of two top leaders.
The MoU includes exchange of technology alongside modern training for the capacity building of Bangladesh Armed Forces.
According to the joint statement of the meeting of two top leaders, two countries have agreed to increase defence and security cooperation. As part of this, regular discussions and training will be arranged.
In accordance with the capacity, one party will supply and cooperate with the other party.
Two parties laid emphasis on regular political discussions in a bid to give this relation a strategic guideline.
Both the parties made a commitment to increase cooperation in different areas including politics, diplomacy, defence, security, trade, investment, sustainable development, climate change, education and culture.
In continuation of this, Bangladesh and France have given emphasis on strengthening cooperation in regional and international forums concerned.
Emmanuel Macron's Dhaka visit is mainly a follow up trip of the prime minister in 2021. Discussions will be held on taking the relation forward in accordance with the decision taken at the time.
He will arrive in Dhaka on 11 September and leave on 12 September. One week ahead of his visit, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov will visit Bangladesh.
In context of the Russia-Ukraine war and the upcoming national election in Bangladesh, diplomatic analysts consider the visits of politicians of two important countries important.