State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam has expressed his optimism that France will continue to support Bangladesh's bid for a GSP+ facility beyond 2029 under the European Union's new GSP Regulation.

Bangladesh is widely considered as a success story for the EU’s Everything-but-Arms (EBA) scheme.

The EBA scheme removes tariffs and quotas for all imports of goods (except arms and ammunition), coming into the EU from least developed countries (LDCs).

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Newly appointed Ambassador of France to Bangladesh Marie Masdupuy met State Minister Alam at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday and discussed issues of mutual interests.

The French Ambassador shared her impression that the aspiration for Bangladesh’s becoming a developed country by 2041 is very much evident.

The State Minister congratulated Marie Masdupuy for her appointment as the Ambassador of France to Bangladesh and expressed his optimism that during her tenure both countries can build on the excellent bilateral relations between the two counties, dating back to Liberation War in 1971.

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The State Minister recounted the journey of Bangladesh from a development assistance-recipient country to the second largest economy in South Asia and one of the fastest growing economies in the world under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Both sides also exchanged views on the bilateral cooperation issues of connectivity, climate change, clean and green energy technology, aviation, etc., and the global food, energy, and financial challenges in the wake of war in Ukraine.

The State Minister assured Marie Masdupuy full support and cooperation during her tenure in Bangladesh.