Dhaka, Sep 10 (PTI) Bangladesh rolled out the red carpet for Emmanuel Macron as he arrived here on Sunday for a historic visit, the first by a French president in 33 years, aimed at boosting bilateral relations.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received Macron at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. A combined contingent of Military, Navy and the Air Force accorded him a guard of honour before being escorted to the presentation line.
Macron, who is on a two-day visit, was given a 21-gun salute as the highest state honour.
After attending the G-20 Summit in India, both leaders will hold a bilateral meeting on Monday.
They are expected to sign two bilateral agreements and hold a joint press briefing there, according to the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry.
Macron is the second French president to visit Bangladesh 33 years after President Francois Mitterrand’s Dhaka visit in 1990.
Officials familiar with the visit said the two countries were expected to ink a couple of bilateral deals in the presence of the two leaders while both were scheduled to hold a joint press briefing on Monday.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said Bangladesh and France would discuss ways to enhance trade and investment between them apart from discussing issues like climate change and regulated migration during the talks.
The French President will pay homage to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum on Monday.
The French president is accompanied by, among others, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna.
The French embassy meanwhile said Macron was visiting Bangladesh at Hasina’s invitation and the tour was expected to be the occasion to “concretise some projects and boost” further economic relations between the two countries.
Hasina visited France in November 2021 at the invitation of Macron.
The bilateral trade relationship started growing in the early 1990s while the total trade between Bangladesh and France soared from Euro 210 million to Euro 4.9 billion today with France being Bangladesh’s 5th largest export destination.
Bangladesh trade officials said French companies were now involved in various sectors including engineering, energy, aerospace and water sectors.
Macron attended a banquet hosted by Hasina in his honour on Sunday night.
Macron is scheduled to visit the residence and studio of popular music artist Rahul Ananda on Sunday night.
Ananda, the founder-leader of the urban folk band Joler Gaan, told the media that this visit is more like a music artist visiting another music artist, as President Macron himself is a guitarist by passion and he loves to meet artists and learn about the culture whenever he visits any country. PTI AR AMS AKJ AMS
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