Since February 1972, just after France formally identified Bangladesh as an independent nation, each countries have been relishing an efficacious romance around the a long time. In this study course, 2023 has conjoined one more plethora of development in the bilateral rapport covering huge problems of geostrategic, financial, technological, and other related arenas. The 12 months 2023, furthermore, has fashioned the opportunity to emerge as a breakthrough time period in bilateral relations in between Bangladesh and France. In this respect, French President Emmanuel Macron’s significant-profile September visit to Bangladesh has established the stage for elevated strategic cooperation in between two progressively aligned partners.
On the geopolitical front, each nations have reiterated a shared vision for a “free, open, tranquil and inclusive” Indo-Pacific region anchored in intercontinental liberal order. As Primary Minister Sheikh Hasina observed, ‘Deeper France-Bangladesh ties can inject constructive momentum towards this principles-centered regional order at a time of international flux.’ France’s geostrategic aims in the Indian Ocean and Bangladesh’s coastal area possessing the spheres of influence in the Bay of Bengal make both partners organic in making certain maritime protection and regional stability. What’s more, with convergent priorities all around local weather action, sustainable connectivity, excellent FDI inflows, and counterterrorism, there exists robust area for bilateral and multilateral cooperation that has been spurred in the calendar year 2023. France’s steadfast help for Bangladesh’s international plan autonomy has also catalyzed partnerships upholding strategic steadiness throughout South Asia and the Indo-Pacific.
On the financial side, with Bangladesh aiming for higher center-earnings position by 2031, France has conveyed sturdy fascination in aiding its infrastructure and technological know-how aims. The $3 billion aviation offer with Airbus signed in 2023 reinforces widened professional hyperlinks. The signed French assistance, right after Macron’s visit, in airports, climate, and shipping signal additional vectors of acquire-earn cooperation suited for Bangladesh’s rapid development in developmental wants. On the other hand, as democracies aligned on progressive values from secularism to local climate justice, deeper societal connections also underpin the relationship’s optimistic trajectory in 2023. France President Emmanuel Macron’s appreciation of Bangladesh’s financial wonder and developmental priorities highlights widening spheres of mutual understanding central to folks-centric regional and world-wide integration.
With sturdy historical bonds, shared worldviews, and increasing strategic and financial priorities, together with general public warmth fueling societal relations, 2023 has furnished a fertile floor for an elevated Bangladesh-France partnership that gave increase to a good alter throughout South Asia and outside of.
Macron’s Go to and a New Acme of Bangladesh-France Bilateral Ties
Bangladesh-France bilateral rapport experienced a new pinnacle marking broad progress in unique areas following and prior to the breakthrough pay a visit to of Emmanuel Macron this yr. French President Emmanuel Macron relished an formal check out on September ten offering rise to a landmark loaded with bilateral talks and agreements involving the two countries. With this noteworthy pay a visit to, it is also apparent that the connection amongst Dhaka and Paris is currently at its strongest level, with increasing economic ties and collaboration on significant problems these types of as aviation purchasing and local climate action.
In the course of Macron’s momentous September 2023 go to, Bangladesh and France took the bilateral relations to a new level by expressing to establish a “strategic partnership for peace, prosperity, and persons.” The joint assertion, posted following the bilateral summit, hinted at enhanced cooperation across numerous places which includes local climate action, sustainable progress, trade, defence, know-how, lifestyle, and a lot more. The take a look at also focused on the advancement of a trustworthy and meaningful romance that encourages strategic autonomy, while also emphasizing shared democratic values and the promotion of aims with regards to enhancement. France continually supports Bangladesh’s climate resilience endeavours, focusing on spurring local climate finance to support the environmentally friendly transitions of developing nations. The two parties emphasized the require for a swift world wide electrical power transition and expressed aid for the progress produced at COP28 on local climate troubles. The joint statement claimed, “Bangladesh and France reiterate their fascination in expanding bilateral trade and discovering potentials for future investments.”
Even ahead of Macron’s go to, Bertrand Lortholary, a senior French international ministry official visiting Bangladesh in January 2023, emphasized France’s fascination in enhancing cooperation with Dhaka throughout weather, stability, and economic realms. As he mentioned, France seeks “ever closer” collaboration with Indo-Pacific states, specifically Bangladesh, to deal with shared issues. Citing the “thriving partnership,” and highlighting “the protection of maritime transportation, targeted visitors of products on the oceans, and the will need of tackling with each other unlawful fishing,” Lortholary famous deep alignment amongst the two countries’ vision for a “free, open, peaceful” Indo-Pacific location.
Having said that, as each Sheikh Hasina and Emmanuel Macron highlighted, this go to paved the way for increased connectivity between France and Bangladesh. During his speech, Macron described the strengthened romance as “ushering in a new period of our longstanding partnership.” Specified the widespread background and mutual passions in sustainability and democratic values, it appears that the two nations around the world are effectively-positioned to collaborate strategically on each regional and global issues even just after 2023.
Economic, Trade, and Technological Ties in 2023
In the course of French President Emmanuel Macron’s September 2023 visit to Bangladesh, the leaders of both equally international locations expressed desire in strengthening bilateral trade and financial commitment flows. As the joint statement affirmed, France lauded Bangladesh’s economic prospective customers and “willingness to even more deepen and widen” economic partnership throughout sectors. During Macron’s stop by, a Credit rating Facility Settlement (MoU) was inked between the Financial Relations Division of Bangladesh and the France Improvement Company of France for the ‘Improving Urban Governance and Infrastructure Programme’. Also, a substantial settlement had been attained in between Bangladesh Satellite Firm Restricted and Airbus Defence and Area SAS, France, about the Bangabandhu-two Earth Observation Satellite System.
Creating on the 2018 start of Bangladesh’s to start with communications satellite developed by France’s Thales Alenia Place, the fresh new house cooperation signifies widened bilateral room ties. It also highlights deepening financial backlinks with France across strategic higher-technology sectors further than common partnerships in engineering and power. As for every studies, the approximately $two hundred million credit rating line from France would guidance excellent infrastructure aligned with Bangladesh’s growth eyesight. In the meantime, the satellite engineering transfer pact aims to boost Bangladesh’s unbiased earth monitoring abilities for enhanced crop forecasting and maritime area consciousness. In accordance to Sheikh Hasina, France has restated its willingness to endorse trade with Bangladesh under the EU’s Generalized Scheme of Tastes Plus (GSP+) offering developing nations possibilities to accomplish sustainable advancement along with excellent governance.
By the way, in a main aviation shift for the duration of Macron’s check out, Bangladesh has agreed to buy 10 Airbus A-350 widebody aircraft value around $3 billion—replacing Boeing as the provider for national carrier Biman’s prolonged-haul fleet enhance. As for every Minister Mahbub Ali, though Biman’s current twenty-plane fleet is absolutely Boeing, the Airbus purchase will be executed in phases beginning with two plane. Riding strong economic progress, Bangladesh aims to emerge as an upper center-revenue financial system by 2031 which must spur air vacation demand from customers. With the offer, Biman Bangladesh joins regional friends like Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific in opting for Airbus A-350s.
On top of that, at the inaugural Bangladesh-France financial commitment summit in Paris in Oct 2023, French Ambassador Marie Masdupuy framed rising financial hyperlinks as critical to cementing the strategic partnership involving each nations. Referring to President Emmanuel Macron’s September pay a visit to which elevated bilateral ties, she requested French companies to faucet into Bangladesh’s resilience and dynamism throughout priority sectors. Noting sturdy current partnerships in transport, attire, LPG and specialized certifications, analysts see room for higher personal sector participation. Flagship collaborations in aviation, satellites and water treatment showcase promising vectors of business cooperation amongst French skills and Bangladesh’s development needs.
Even so, as briefed by the Élysée Palace, Macron’s excursion has been aiming to speed up cooperation throughout nuclear ability, hydropower, aeronautics and other high-potential sectors where by France offers specialised capabilities that can assistance Bangladesh’s enhancement eyesight. As the Élysée formal affirmed, “Bangladesh can turn out to be one particular of the thirty greatest economies in the globe by 2030 and is wanting to the relaxation of the world.” By the way, about time, the bilateral trade involving France and Bangladesh has seasoned a exceptional surge because the nineties, with the in general trade volume skyrocketing from €210M to an remarkable €4.9 billion by 2023. This major enhance in trade has positioned France as the fifth-premier place for exports from Bangladesh. By backing Bangladesh’s strategic autonomy and showcasing its financial probable to hit $1 trillion in GDP by 2041, France aims for major bilateral and regional impacts.
Geopolitical and Geostrategic Cooperation
The Bangladesh-France bilateral rapport in 2023 has also seasoned Emmanuel Macron’s higher-stakes Bangladesh go to aiming to translate France’s resident power standing in the Indo-Pacific into substantive ties with the region’s pivotal actors. Beyond inking economic deals, Macron doubled down on strategic messaging—presenting France as an choice lover for Asian nations amid escalating US-China rivalry. As Macron affirmed, Bangladesh is a primary focus on for advanced cooperation supplied its yearly seven% advancement, demographic heft and rising world leadership on issues like local climate vulnerability. Primary Minister Sheikh Hasina mentioned deep alignment with Macron’s thrust for “strategic autonomy” across the Indo-Pacific crafted on cooperation, not coercion.
With France also elevating ties with regional heavyweights like India, the phase appears to be set for synergistic partnerships upholding steadiness. “Based on democratic concepts and the rule of regulation, in a area experiencing new imperialism, we want to suggest a third way. All our tactic is concentrated on strengthening the independence and the strategic autonomy of our close friends to give them the ‘freedom of sovereignty’,” Emmanuel Macron famous. In the joint push briefing with Primary Minister Sheikh Hasina, he conveyed comprehensive endorsement of Dhaka’s self-reliant trajectory backed by robust financial fundamentals and democratic continuity.
Cooperation in Local climate Adjust
In a particular discussion with Primary Minister Sheikh Hasina in the course of his September check out, Emmanuel Macron extended an supply of support from France to Bangladesh to cooperate on an electricity changeover. France, alongside with other European nations, has currently carried out related endeavours with numerous building nations, like South Africa and Indonesia. In these cases, France has allocated hundreds of thousands and thousands of euros to aid the alter of these countries from economies reliant on fossil fuels to economies centred all around renewable strength sources. Furthermore, Macron extended an invitation to Bangladesh to develop into a member of the International Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), a newly set up initiative aimed at supporting the preservation of earthly and aquatic species in various countries.
In addition, in December 2023, France introduced its commitment to signing a deal with Bangladesh to give financial aid for local weather change adaptation and addressing problems and decline. In a major move, the French Improvement Company has committed a substantial expense of €1 billion ($1.1 billion), although the IMF is expected to provide $1 billion really worth of distinctive drawing legal rights (SDRs) for supplemental financial loans. In this regard, Macron emphasized the great importance of these international locations attaining entry to revolutionary environmentally friendly systems, now deemed the driving force guiding economic growth.
Potential Directions
Apart from geopolitical and financial developments, France has pledged to just take action on the Rohingya genocide scenario filed with the Intercontinental Courtroom of Justice, as said in the joint assertion during Macron’s take a look at.
Nonetheless, as 2023 finished, the appreciably elevated Bangladesh-France partnership across financial, climate, strategic and societal realms look poised for an even brighter upcoming. Setting up on the momentum from President Macron’s breakthrough September pay a visit to, the two nations can further more synergy on high-quality infrastructure, room tech transfers, thoroughly clean vitality transitions and maritime stability. With France backing Bangladesh’s regional management across weather justice and immigration difficulties, additional collective initiatives upholding sustainability and human legal rights beckon.
Additionally, with the strategic autonomy eyesight ever more binding the two companions, 2024 and onward could witness major Bangladesh-France joint ventures in satellites, port connectivity, local weather resilience and defence tech. As Primary Minister Sheikh Hasina affirmed, outside of transactions, it is the “trust and confidence” anchoring relations that bode nicely for this consequential cooperation among two leading Indo-Pacific democracies. Regardless of whether spurring regional stability or showcasing inspirational weather management to the entire world, more background-earning Bangladesh-France collaboration seemingly lies ahead.
[Photo by Prime Minister’s Office of Bangladesh/Handout via Reuters]
The views and viewpoints expressed in this posting are those people of the author.
Kawsar Uddin Mahmud is a Investigate Intern at the KRF Heart for Bangladesh and Worldwide Affairs.
