French diplomacy is at work in Bangladesh. Emmanuel Macron arrived on site on Sunday evening to “open a new page” in the relationship with this country which “is gradually regaining its place on the international scene”. With this trip, the president’s objective is above all to “consolidate” France’s “Indo-Pacific strategy” after the G20 summit in India.
During an official dinner in Dhaka with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the French head of state praised “the tremendous success of Bangladesh”, emphasizing that it was “based on democratic principles and the rule of law “. “France will be at your side again” in the future, he promised, particularly in the face of the challenge of adapting to global warming in a country regularly exposed to floods.
A half-word criticism of Chinese helpers
Emmanuel Macron’s entourage had explained before the visit that it aimed to consolidate France’s strategy for the “Indo-Pacific”, this vast area covering the Indian and Pacific oceans, the scene of growing international tensions between the United States and China, and where France, with the strength of its overseas territories, intends to develop its presence alongside regional partners.
“In a region faced with a new imperialism, we want to offer a third way, without wanting to intimidate our partners or involve them in unsustainable plans,” launched Emmanuel Macron, in an allusion to Chinese aid accused of dangerously increasing the debt of poorer countries.
Sheikh Hasina for her part welcomed this French plea “in favor of strategic autonomy”, which “coincides with our own foreign policy”. “You bring a breath of fresh air to international relations,” she told her guest. The two leaders also referred to former French minister André Malraux, who campaigned for Bangladesh’s independence in the early 1970s.
This Monday, after a visit to the Sheikh Mujibur Rahman memorial, founder of Bangladesh and father of the current head of government, Emmanuel Macron must have a bilateral meeting with the latter before returning to Paris.
A visit to Dhaka after gestures towards India and Sri Lanka
The French presidency also estimated that after inviting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the July 14 national holiday this summer in Paris, and a stopover in Sri Lanka at the end of July at the end of a tour in the Pacific, Emmanuel Macron “in the space of six months” had “done more on South Asia than in the space of a decade”.
The visit to Dhaka is also “an opportunity to deepen the bilateral relationship with a country which is experiencing rapid economic development (…) and which seeks to diversify its partnerships”, noted the Elysée.