Hasina-Macron Meeting Today

French President Emmanuel Macron will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Ganabhaban today (September 11), during his visit to Dhaka. Following the meeting, there are discussions about several bilateral agreements being signed between the two countries.

According to officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the French President will pay his respects to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in Dhanmondi 32 in the morning. Subsequently, he will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban. Besides discussions on bilateral matters during the meeting, an agreement is expected to be signed for satellite and aviation cooperation, as well as for funding local government projects.

After the meeting between the two leaders, there will be a joint press briefing. Before leaving the Prime Minister's office, the French President is expected to sign a visitor's book.

International sources suggest that during Sheikh Hasina's visit to France in 2021, Bangladesh and France signed a defense cooperation agreement. This visit is expected to bring further discussions on this topic and the possibility of signing additional bilateral agreements, including one for satellite purchases from Airbus. Additionally, there may be discussions regarding the purchase of aircraft from the same company. A memorandum of understanding worth 20 million dollars from the French development agency AFD is also likely to be signed.

During the bilateral meeting, various topics such as space technology, defense procurement, UN peacekeeping, climate change, regional stability, human rights, elections, and Indo-Pacific issues may be discussed.

Furthermore, it is expected that cooperation in trade, investment, climate change mitigation, and technology transfer will be emphasized, along with discussions on the Rohingya issue. Both leaders are likely to enhance collaboration in various fields, including politics.

The French President arrived in Dhaka on Sunday night (September 10) from Delhi on a two-day visit. He will be seen off at the airport by Foreign Minister Dr. A. K. Abdul Momen after a formal ceremony lasting no more than 24 hours.

It's worth noting that this is the second visit by a French President to Bangladesh after François Mitterrand's visit in 1990.