French president set to visit Bangladesh

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Bangladesh on Sunday.

It will be the first visit from a French president to the South Asian nation in 33 years. Previously, former French President Mitterrand visited Bangladesh in 1990.

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who left New Delhi for Dhaka after attending the G-20 leaders’ summit as a guest country at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, is scheduled to receive Macron at the airport, according to the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry.

They will hold a bilateral meeting, sign bilateral agreements and hold a joint news conference.

“We are thrilled to see a growing interest from both sides to enhance business, in particular to build on French technology and know-how in order to support the move from Digital Bangladesh to Smart Bangladesh,” the French Embassy in Dhaka said ahead of the visit.

“It will also be an opportunity to deepen our bilateral relations with a country that is experiencing rapid economic growth and seeking to diversify its partnerships,” the embassy said.