France: French President Mr. Emmanuel Macron has visited Bangladesh to “consolidate” his country’s Indo-Pacific strategy and counterbalance a “new imperialism” in a region where China’s influence is growing.
“Based on democratic principles and the rule of law, in a region facing new imperialism, we want to propose a third way—with no intention to bully our partners or to lead them to an unsustainable scheme,” Mr. Macron told Bangladeshi Prime Minister Ms. Sheikh Hasina.
“Bangladesh is progressively retrieving its place on the world stage,” Mr. Macron said after he arrived in the capital, Dhaka, following the Group of 20 (G20) summit in neighbouring India. The French President praised what he called “the tremendous success” of the South Asian country, which has a rapidly growing economy and is the world’s eighth-most populous nation with more than 170 million people.
Mr. Macron held talks with Ms. Hasina and visited a memorial to her father, Bangladesh’s first president, Mr. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, before returning to Paris. The Bangladesh PM remarked that Mr. Macron’s “push for strategic autonomy aligns with our own foreign policy. “We find you to be a breath of fresh air in international politics,” Ms. Hasina added.
Several Western countries have expressed concern over the political climate in Bangladesh ahead of general elections due before the end of January. “The visit to Dhaka will also be an opportunity to deepen the bilateral relationship with a country that is experiencing rapid economic development and that seeks to diversify its partnerships”, the presidential Elysee Palace commented on the visit.
TOP PICKS | US Open: Novak Djokovic wins record 24th Grand Slam title
