Macron hails Bangladesh's progress in rare trip to Asian country

French President Emmanuel Macron met with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka to strengthen dialogue with what Paris considers “an increasingly strategic partner.”

"Bangladesh is progressively retrieving its place on the world stage," Macron said, speaking after he arrived in the capital Dhaka on Sunday after the G20 leaders summit in neighbouring India wrapped up.

He praised what he called "the tremendous success" of the South Asian country, a rapidly growing economy and the world's eighth most populous nation with more than 170 million people.

It is the first such visit by a French president in 33 years to further intensify trade and strategic relations.

Former French President Francois Mitterrand visited Bangladesh in 1990.

Several bilateral agreements were expected to be signed by Macron and Hasina during their meeting.

Before the meeting, Macron paid tribute to Bangladesh’s founding leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in Dhaka.

Hasina said Macron's "push for strategic autonomy aligns with our own foreign policy", speaking at a dinner to welcome him. "We find you to be a breath of fresh air in international politics".

Apart from discussing bilateral issues, the meeting will also see the signing of two memorandums of understanding (MoUs), one with European multinational aerospace corporation Airbus for financing a satellite and aircraft and one regarding funding for a local government project.

The two leaders will hold a joint press briefing after the meeting to share the details.

'Historical' trip

Bangladesh and France signed a defence MoU during Sheikh Hasina's visit to France in 2021.

“Historical, this trip to Bangladesh will be a way to strengthen our dialogue with an increasingly strategic partner,” the French embassy in Dhaka said Monday on its official Facebook page.

The country, thanks to its strong economic growth, has made tremendous progress in pursuing its Smart Bangladesh vision.

“Ambitious, our cooperation aims also at the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs),” it added.

France is eager to stand by Bangladesh in its development to support it to overcome its major challenges, the embassy said.

The total trade between Bangladesh and France soared from €210 million ($225 million) in the early 1990s to €4.9 billion currently with France being Bangladesh's fifth largest export destination.

Macron's visit follows a Pacific trip in July to the French overseas territory of New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, as well as a stopover in Sri Lanka, in which he outlined his Indo-Pacific strategy aimed at "recommitting" France to the region.

On Sunday, Macron met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G20 in New Delhi, who he hosted in Paris in July.

The French presidency suggested that Macron in the past six months had "done more about South Asia than in the space of a decade".