Bangladesh and France marked the celebration of 50 years of their diplomatic relations by issuing commemorative stamps in both Dhaka and Paris.
Foreign Minister Dr. A. K. Abdul Momen, and French Ambassador to Bangladesh Marie Masdupuy released the commemorative stamp in Dhaka while French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and Bangladesh’s Ambassador to France Khondker M. Talha did the same in Paris, said the foreign ministry.
Bangladesh and France established their diplomatic relations in 1972 with France recognising Bangladesh as an independent State on 14 February 1972.
Newly appointed Ambassador of France to Bangladesh Marie Masdupuy last month had said she would focus on three priority areas including boosting trade and investment during her tenure in Dhaka to take the relations to a new height.
She said the two countries can lead joint initiatives in the area of climate change, trade and investment,
France and Bangladesh share the same vision for a "free, open, peaceful, secure and inclusive" Indo-Pacific region, based on international law and with shared prosperity for all, she had also sad.
Bangladesh and France held the first-ever bilateral political consultations on 19 January 2023 in Dhaka.
During the official visit of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina to France in November 2021 at the invitation of the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, both sides highlighted their shared will to develop and deepen all aspects of their partnership through regular political consultations for strategic guidance.
During the Consultations, both Bangladesh and France affirmed their commitment to extend cooperation in the areas of political relations, development cooperation, trade and investment, defence cooperation, cooperation in science and technology including ICT and agriculture, cultural cooperation and cooperation in archaeology, cooperation in diplomatic training in France, exchange programme between diplomatic training academies, consular cooperation, etc.
They reasserted their will to build up key partnerships in the fields of aviation, space and aerospace technology.
Both sides also shared their views on various regional and international issues, including the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals, cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, cybercrime, counter-terrorism and violent extremism, among others.
They had an extensive exchange of views on the war in Ukraine and reaffirmed their paramount attachments to the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, including territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Both sides recognized the absolute priority of addressing climate change related issues in their bilateral cooperation as well as in multilateral fora.
The two sides highlighted the importance of enhancing bilateral trade and exchanging business delegation.
The Bangladesh side invited France to enhance investment in Bangladesh, particularly in food and agro-processing, advanced manufacturing, consumer electronics, automotive, leather, and pharmaceuticals.
The two sides discussed potentials for deepening cooperation in research and development, especially in medical and environmental sciences. Both sides also acknowledged the prospects for strengthening cooperation in aviation security and maritime domain awareness.
The French side assured of appropriate consideration to support Bangladesh’s bid for a GSP+ facility beyond 2029 under the EU’s new GSP Regulation, in conjunction with EU institutions and Member States. Both Bangladesh and France acknowledged the value of sustained and substantive cooperation in relevant regional and multilateral fora, including the UN, ASEAN Regional Forum, and IORA.
Both sides agreed that the second Bilateral Political Consultations would take place in Paris in the later part of 2023.