France Keen to Deepen Ties with Bangladesh

France has expressed a strong desire to expand cooperation with Bangladesh across trade, investment, education, culture, climate change, and strategic sectors.

According to Paris, bilateral relations have gained significant momentum following Bangladesh’s return to a democratic path.

French Ambassador to Dhaka, Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet, made these remarks on Tuesday (July 14) during a reception held at the French Embassy in Dhaka to mark France’s National Day, also known as Bastille Day.

The event was attended by the Adviser for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, who served as the chief guest.

Addressing the audience, Ambassador Séré-Charlet stated that the recent peaceful and inclusive national election has brought Bangladesh back into the fold of democratic nations. He added that Paris is impressed by the unwavering commitment of the Bangladeshi people toward democracy.

The Ambassador emphasized that French President Emmanuel Macron has tasked him with deepening and diversifying the relationship between the two nations.

To achieve this, France intends to increase engagement and connectivity between business communities, students, researchers, and artists from both countries.

Highlighting the scope of economic and development cooperation, the envoy noted that the French Development Agency (AFD) has provided approximately 2 billion euros in loans to Bangladesh since 2012 to support national development and climate resilience.

Notably, more than 80 percent of these funds are dedicated to projects addressing the impacts of climate change and biodiversity conservation.

Ambassador Séré-Charlet also highlighted that France views Bangladesh as a key partner in ensuring peace, freedom of navigation, and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Furthermore, he signaled a keen interest in strengthening bilateral cooperation in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, innovation, and marine conservation.

Commending Bangladesh’s growing footprint on the international stage, the French Ambassador congratulated the country on Dr. Khalilur Rahman’s election as the next President of the United Nations General Assembly, describing it as a major achievement. He concluded by expressing his optimism that the partnership between France and Bangladesh will continue to prosper, built upon the foundations of mutual interest and equality.