Dhaka

French President Emmanuel Macron is on a tour of Bangladesh, where he held bilateral talks with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The two countries signed an agreement to purchase 10 Airbus aircraft from France and exchanged letters of intent for an Earth Observation Satellite System.

Macron emphasized the importance of democratic principles and laws in addressing new imperialism and emphasized the need to strengthen the independence and strategic autonomy of friendly countries.

Biman Airlines, Bangladesh’s leading airline, has also signed an agreement to buy 10 Airbus A350 from France, valued at around $3.2 billion. Both countries expressed commitment to this agreement, with Biman Airlines having more than 20 Boeing aircraft in its fleet.

This is the first historic visit of a French President to Bangladesh in 33 years. Bilateral trade relations between Bangladesh and France have grown since the early 1990s, with France being Bangladesh’s 5th largest export destination.