foreign-affairs
President Macron arrives in Dhaka Sunday to "concretize some projects, boost" further economic relations
Bangladesh is set to roll out red carpet for President of France Emmanuel Macron when he arrives in Dhaka on Sunday evening on a bilateral visit.
The French president is coming here after attending the G20 summit in New Delhi.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is scheduled to return home at 3:30pm wrapping up her G20 visit in India, will receive President Macron at 7:30pm at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, an official told UNB on Saturday.
Macron is the first leader to visit Bangladesh since former French President Mitterrand visited Bangladesh on 22 to 24 February, 1990.
President Macron will hold a summit meeting with PM Hasina at Prime Minister's Office on Monday morning and join a banquet to be hosted by her in honour of the visiting guest on Sunday evening.
The two leaders are expected to witness signing of a couple of bilateral instruments and hold a joint press briefing.
Macron will pay homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 on Monday morning.
"We are thrilled to see a growing interest from both sides to enhance business, in particular to build on France technology and know-how in order to support the move from Digital Bangladesh to Smart Bangladesh," said the Embassy of France in Dhaka.
The visit of President Macron at the invitation of PM Hasina will be the occasion to "concretize some projects and boost" further economic relations between the two countries, said the French side.
The bilateral trade relationship has gone a long way since early 1990.
Total trade between Bangladesh and France soared from 210M€ to 4.9 billion€ today with France being the 5th country for exports.
Read: President Macron to pay homage to Bangabandhu during Bangladesh visit
French companies are now involved in various sectors including engineering, energy, aerospace and water sectors.
The governments of Bangladesh and France sincerely hope that the visit of the French President to Bangladesh will further elevate the friendly relations between the two countries to a new height, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The French president will be accompanied by, among others, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna.
PM Hasina visited France in November 2021 at the invitation of the French President Emmanuel Macron.
France is seeing the visit as an "opportunity to deepen" the bilateral relations between the two countries.
The French government confirmed the visit on Monday describing Bangladesh as a country that is experiencing "rapid economic growth and seeking to diversify" its partnerships.
"Bangladesh and France also show great convergence in the face of global challenges, particularly within the framework of the Paris Agenda for Peoples and the Planet, which Bangladesh actively supports," reads the announcement.
Read: French President Macron to arrive on September 10 to "deepen" ties with Bangladesh
Since the country is particularly vulnerable to climate change, the president will recall France's determination to stand by Bangladesh on its humanitarian front, in particular in the face of regular floods.
Bangladesh is also an important contributor to international solidarity actions, whether through its contingents in peacekeeping operations or in hosting Rohingya refugees.
In Bangladesh, the President Macron will continue the concrete declination of the French strategy in the Indo-Pacific, after welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Paris this summer and visiting Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Sri Lanka.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said Bangladesh and France would discuss ways to enhance trade and investment between the two countries apart from discussing issues like climate change and regulated migration during the talks.
“Women empowerment, enhancing trade and commerce and regulated migration – these are normal issues. Climate change is a big issue. The President of France has taken a leadership role,” Momen said, adding that Bangladesh will raise the loss and damage issue and its making functional of its relevant fund in a big way.
Read more: Hasina-Macron Talks: Trade, climate, migration high on agenda
The French President is scheduled to leave Dhaka at 2pm on Monday.
Foreign Minister Dr Momen will see him off at the airport.
Lavrov meets Bangladeshi graduates of Russian universities
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a meeting with Bangladeshi representatives of the Association of Alumni of Soviet and Russian Universities at the Russian Embassy in Dhaka, arranged jointly with the Russian House in Dhaka.
"We greatly appreciate your contribution to the development of our relations through civil societies, and through the organizations of the governments of the two countries. This seriously helps to develop relations and to look for practical, useful, mutually beneficial projects," Lavrov said during the event held recently.
Read: Bangladesh Ambassador meets House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, other members of US Congress
He also added that the ranks of the association will be replenished because Russia has increased the number of relevant scholarships for Bangladeshi residents.
The meeting was attended, in particular, by the president of the association, RUDN University graduate (1981) Taqsem Ahmed Khan, Honorary Consul of Russia in Chattogram, businessman, architect, graduate of the Belarusian National Technical University (1983) Ashiq Imran, businessman, president of the Society for Friendship with Bangladesh; graduate of the Tashkent Polytechnic Institute (1989) Sattar Mia, Director of the Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs (BILIA) Mizanur Rahman and others.
They thanked Lavrov for the meeting and noted the good relations between the two countries, the development of trade between states and the assistance and support that the country provided to Bangladesh in the past.
Read:Hasina, Modi didn't talk about Bangladesh election: Momen
Separately, they emphasized the role that the USSR played during the Great Patriotic War.
"We are very grateful to the Soviet Union for giving the world, and all of us, Victory Day! We really hope that soon Russia will present the second Victory Day! – Mizanur Rahman, a professor at the Department of International Law at Dhaka University, concluded Here, almost all the graduates present at this meeting applauded.
Bangladesh Ambassador meets House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, other members of US Congress
Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Muhammad Imran has met several congressmen and congresswomen over the last few weeks and briefed them about Bangladesh’s impressive socio-economic development that took place under the dynamic and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
They also discussed various other issues of bilateral interests like the Rohingya issue, peace-keeping, labor issues, trade cooperation, Indo-Pacific Strategy, and regional and global issues.
Discussions underway on possibility of supplying LNG, wheat, fertilisers from Russia: Lavrov
Ambassador Imran met House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-08), who has joined as a member of Bangladesh Caucus recently, said the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington on Saturday.
He also met four Co-chairs of the Bangladesh Caucus — Claudia Tenny (R-NY 24), Gerry Connolly (D-VA 11), Dwight Evans (D-PA 03) and Joe Wilson (R-SC 02) — at their respective offices.
Dhaka, New Delhi sign 3 MoUs after Hasina-Modi talks
The Ambassador also met congressmen Rep. William Keating (D-MA 09), Rep. James P McGovern (D-MA 02), Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA 21), Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ 09), Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA 06) and Chief of Staff of Congressman Rep. Barry Moore (R-LA 02) recently.
UN goal of achieving gender equality by 2030 is impossible because of biases against women, UN says
As part of regular engagement, the Ambassador and Embassy officials also had separate meetings with Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS 01), Rep. Lois Frankel (D-FL 22), Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI 11), Rep. Grace Ming (D-NY 06), Rep. Mario Diaz Balart (R-FL 25) and other current and former congressmen/senators and their senior staffers.
Hasina, Modi look forward to CEPA as next step up in ties
Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi have said they look forward to getting negotiations going on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) for their two countries, covering trade in goods, services, and protecting and promoting investment.
Expressing satisfaction at the implementation of development cooperation projects, they looked forward to the joint inauguration of three projects (Agartala-Akhaura Rail Link, Unit-II of the Maitri Power Plant and Khulna-Mongla Rail Link) at a convenient date later.
The two leaders had a bilateral meeting in New Delhi on Friday (September 08, 2023).
PM Hasina is visiting India as its guest country to participate in the G-20 Leaders Summit on 9-10 September 2023.
Read more: Hasina, Modi agree to resolve outstanding bilateral issues through talks
With regard to the regional situation, Prime Minister Modi expressed appreciation of the burden shouldered by Bangladesh in hosting over a million persons displaced from Rakhine State in Myanmar, and conveyed India's constructive and positive approach to support solutions towards safe and sustainable repatriation of the refugees.
The Indian side welcomed the Indo-Pacific Outlook announced by Bangladesh recently, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (Indian Foreign Ministry).
The leaders agreed to continue working together to intensify their wide-ranging engagement.
The two leaders discussed the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation including political and security cooperation, border management, trade and connectivity, water resources, power and energy, development cooperation, cultural and people to people ties. Current developments in the region and cooperation in the multilateral fora were also discussed.
Read more: Dhaka, New Delhi sign 3 MoUs after Hasina-Modi talks
They welcomed the operationalization of the Agreement on the use of the Chattogram and Mongla Ports and commissioning of the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline.
They also expressed appreciation for operationalization of settlement of bilateral trade in INR (rupee) and encouraged the business community on both sides to utilize the mechanism.
Hasina thanked Modi for the hospitality of the government and people of India, as the two leaders looked forward to continuing interactions at all levels.
Read more: Hasina, Modi didn't talk about Bangladesh election: Momen
Hasina, Modi didn't talk about Bangladesh election: Momen
Bangladesh's upcoming general election did not figure in the bilateral talks between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Friday.
“There was no discussion between the two Prime Ministers on the upcoming general elections in Bangladesh and the Indo-Pacific issue,” Foreign Minister AK Momen told reporters while responding to a question during his briefing here on the outcome of the bilateral meeting of the two prime ministers.
However, regarding the election, Momen said, no one wants instability in the region, including in Bangladesh.
He said that the people of Bangladesh do not want to go back to the bad times after 2001 when the BNP-Jamaat alliance government championed in corruption for five times, created militancy, bombed across the country, grenade attack on 21 August, and exploded bombs in the courtrooms.
But he said that he did not know whether the matter of election came or not during the tete-a-tete of the two heads of the government of the two neighbouring countries.
Mentioning that the Awami League government has confidence in the people, the foreign minister said that the common people and businesspeople of the country are happy with the various steps taken by the present government.
In response to another question, he said that if anyone tries to rig the next general election, the people will resist.
In response to a question about BNP's demand for elections under a caretaker government, the foreign minister said that the caretaker government is not in the constitution of Bangladesh and it is not a matter of discussion.
Mentioning that such legally prohibited matters will not be spared in any way, he said that everyone should be committed to conducting the upcoming general elections in a neutral, credible and fair and violence-free manner.
Hasina, Modi agree to resolve outstanding bilateral issues through talks
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday laid emphasis on resolving the outstanding issues between India and Bangladesh through talks at the official level.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said this during a media briefing about the outcome of the bilateral meeting between Modi and visiting Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
“The Prime Minister of India expressed his deep gratitude to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her contribution in ensuring the existing peaceful situation in the north-eastern region of his country,” Momen said.
The bilateral meeting took place at the official residence of the Indian prime minister in New Delhi.
Momen said that both the prime ministers expressed satisfaction over the existing deep relationship between Bangladesh and India.
Read: Progress in India-Bangladesh relations is very gladdening: Modi tweets
“And they agreed to take effective steps to further this relationship,” he said.
Hasina noted that after his successful state visit to New Delhi on 04-08 September last year, a lot of visible progress has been achieved in various areas of bilateral interest.
“Both the prime ministers expressed satisfaction for this,” the foreign minister said.
In the meeting, the Sheikh Hasina informed the Indian prime minister about the success achieved by Bangladesh in various socio-economic fields.
“The Prime Minister of India appreciated the strong leadership of the Prime Minister for the tremendous progress of Bangladesh,” Momen added.
Momen said that Sheikh Hasina requested the Government of India to ensure uninterrupted supply of essential commodities from India as New Delhi is the second largest trading partner of Dhaka.
“Both Prime Ministers agreed to accelerate our ongoing efforts and activities to enhance our bilateral and regional connectivity with India, including rail and road connectivity,” he said.
Read: Dhaka, New Delhi sign 3 MoUs after Hasina-Modi talks
PM Hasina also sought the cooperation of Modi for the speedy repatriation of the Rohingya people to their homeland, Myanmar.
“We believe that this fruitful and open discussion between the two Prime Ministers in a very cordial atmosphere will speed up to settle the outstanding issues between the two sides and benefit the people of both countries,” Momen said.
He said the bilateral meeting was held in a very cordial atmosphere.
“Both Prime Ministers discussed important issues of bilateral interest. During this time, both the Prime Ministers also held tete-a-tete,” he said.
Sheikh Hasina recalled India's contribution to Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971.
She also thanked Modi for inviting her to the 'G-20 Leaders' Summit.
She expressed her gratitude to the prime minister of India for taking the necessary initiatives to protect the interests of the underdeveloped parts of the world, especially the 'Global South' by bringing the issues related to the interests of the 'Global South' to a large scale like G-20.
Modi congratulated Bangladesh on actively participating in G-20 meetings, Momen said.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Bangladesh said Hasina and Modi reiterated their firm commitment to further strengthening the excellent bilateral relations which exist between the two friendly neighbours.
They expressed this when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met with her Indian counterpart on Friday evening at latter's official residence in New Delhi.
The Bangladesh PM thanked Modi for inviting Bangladesh as a Guest Country to participate in the meetings of G20 under the Indian Presidency.
She congratulated the Indian Prime Minister for successfully steering the G20 process and making significant contributions to advancing the interests of the people across the globe, especially of the Global South.
The two prime ministers expressed satisfaction over the existing level of collaboration between the two long-standing partners and discussed the major issues of mutual interests.
During the meeting, both the prime ministers held discussions on a wide range of issues covering most of the aspects of the relationship.
They noted with satisfaction the achievements made in a number of areas of mutual interests, since the last state visit of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to New Delhi in September 2022.
She expressed satisfaction over the recent increase in bilateral trade between the two countries and emphasized ensuring smooth and predictable supply of essential commodities from India to Bangladesh.
She sought India’s support for early repatriation of the Rohingyas from Bangladesh to Myanmar.
PM Modi appreciated Bangladesh’s active participation in various G20 meetings as a Guest Country. He lauded the unprecedented developments achieved in various socio-economic sectors of Bangladesh under the dynamic leadership of Sheikh Hasina. He suggested settling the outstanding issues between the two countries through discussions at the official level.
Both the prime ministers expressed satisfaction over conclusion of three bilateral MOUs in the areas of Cultural Exchange Programme for the years 2023-2025; Cooperation in Agricultural Research and Education; and the MOU between NPCI International Payments Limited of India and Bangladesh Bank to facilitate and settlement of transactions by the travellers.
Sheikh Hasina will attend the “G-20 Leaders’ Summit” tomorrow and make statements in the sessions.
On the sidelines of the summit, she is expected to meet Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, President of United Arab Emirates, President of Argentina and President of the Republic of Korea.
Dhaka, New Delhi sign 3 MoUs after Hasina-Modi talks
Bangladesh and India on Friday signed three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's meeting with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi here.
The MoUs are-- Cooperation on Agricultural Research and Education between Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council and Extension of Cultural Exchange Programme from 2023 to 2025.
The other MoU is between Bangladesh Bank and the National Payments Corporation of India for network connectivity to facilitate transactions in rupee and taka between the two countries.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said this while briefing reporters.
Progress in India-Bangladesh relations is very gladdening: Modi tweets
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a tweet on Friday described his meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as productive deliberations.
“Had productive deliberations with PM Sheikh Hasina. The progress in India-Bangladesh relations in the last 9 years has been very gladdening. Our talks covered areas like connectivity, commercial linkage and more,” he tweeted, uploading the images of the meeting.
READ: PM Hasina gets red carpet welcome on arrival in New Delhi
The bilateral meeting was held between the two leaders at the residence of the Indian Prime Minister in the afternoon.
Hasina on Friday went to New Delhi on a three-visit to attend the G-20 summit in New Delhi at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. Bangabandhu's youngest daughter Sheikh Rehana is accompanying her elder sister Hasina during the visit.
READ: End the Ukraine war thru negotiations: PM Hasina tells Russian foreign minister
A special flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, carrying the premier and her entourage, landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport at 12:40pm local time (1:10pm BD time).
A red carpet was rolled out to welcome the Bangladesh prime minister. She was received by Indian Minister of State for Railways and Textiles Darshana Vikram Jardosh. A cultural team also performed a welcome dance at the airport.
End the Ukraine war thru negotiations: PM Hasina tells Russian foreign minister
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday urged Russia to find out a way to stop the Russia-Ukraine war peacefully through negotiations.
She made the call when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov paid a courtesy call on her at the latter’s official residence Ganabhaban here on Friday morning.
PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Jahid Tusher briefed reporters after the meeting.
Sheikh Hasina said it is necessary to stop the war and establish peace as soon as possible. The world is suffering due to the food and fuel crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, war and economic sanctions and counter-sanctions, she added.
The premier asked for making a special consideration of the economic risks the LDCs and developing countries including African countries are facing due to the food-grains, fertilizer and energy crises induced by the war, sanctions and counter-sanctions as well as for finding a way out of it.
Appreciating Bangladesh's stance on the Russia-Ukraine war issue, Lavrov said Bangladesh's position on the war is ‘balanced’ and ‘responsible.’
In this context, Sheikh Hasina referred to Bangladesh's foreign policy of 'Friendship with All, Malice towards None,’ which was framed by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Her government has been upholding this policy firmly and working for the country’s economy and its overall development maintaining a good relation with all.
She expressed her gratitude to Russia for standing beside Bangladesh during the 1971 Liberation War and contributing to removing mines from Chittagong and Mongla sea ports after the war.
Russia is a long-time trusted and tested friend of Bangladesh, said the prime minister.
Noting Bangabandhu’s visit to Russia in 1972 and her visits to Russia in 1982 and 2013, both of them put emphasis on strengthening the bilateral ties between the two countries.
In this context, the PM urged Russia to increase trade and investment in Bangladesh.
In response, Lavrov said Bangladesh is Russia's second largest trade and investment partner in South Asia. Russia is thinking about what other products alongside readymade garments it can import from Bangladesh, he said, asking the Bangladeshi businesspeople to come up with specific proposals in this regard.
He also called for specific investment proposals in special economic zones and hi-tech parks in Bangladesh.
The Russian FM emphasized on increasing communication between the businessmen of the two countries in terms of increasing trade and investment.
In the meeting, the latest progress of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant was discussed and it was noted that the nuclear fuel for the plant will come in the first week of October next in the first phase.
The PM invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to participate virtually in a programme to be organised on the occasion of the arrival of nuclear fuel.
Lavrov thanked Bangladesh for building a nuclear power plant with the support of Russia.
He praised the overall progress of Bangladesh including socio-economic, infrastructure under the leadership of PM Hasina.
Noting a 300,000-ton wheat import agreement with Russia, the prime minister called for a long-term agreement on import of fertilizers from Russia as well.
While talking about energy cooperation, Lavrov assured that Russia will support Bangladesh in meeting its energy needs.
Science and Technology Minister Yeafesh Osman, PM’s Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, Science and Technology Secretary Ziaul Hasan, ERD Secretary Sharifa Khan and Bangladesh Ambassador to Russia Kamrul Ahsan were present during the meeting.
On Thursday evening, Lavrov arrived in Dhaka on a two-day visit, the first by a Russian foreign minister since Bangladesh's independence in 1971.
Lavrov pays respect to Bangabandhu
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday visited Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi to pay homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Lavrov placed a floral wreath at the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and had a tour of the museum.
He signed the visitors' book there.
Also read: Discussions underway on possibility of supplying LNG, wheat, fertilisers from Russia: Lavrov