<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and visiting French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday opened talks aimed at taking the bilateral relations to a strategic engagement.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The two countries are seeking to open new areas of cooperation, particularly in strategic assets and advanced technologies.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On arrival at the Tiger gate of the Prime Minister’s Office at 10:20am, Sheikh Hasina received President Macron.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The two leaders joined the delegation-level talks at Chameli hall of the Prime Minister’s Office. It will be followed by restricted-level talks between the two leaders at Shimul hall there.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A couple of bilateral instruments (agreements/MoUs) will be signed in presence of the two leaders at Karobi Hall. Then PM Hasina and President Macron will hold a joint press briefing there.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Macron will sign the visitor’s book before Hasina sees him off at the Tiger gate.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Macron, the first French president visiting Bangladesh in 33 years, arrived here in Dhaka on Sunday evening from India after attending the G20 summit in New Delhi. The French leader is scheduled to leave Dhaka at 2pm today (on Monday).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Francois Mitterrand was the last French president to visit Bangladesh on 22-24 February, 1990.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Total trade between Bangladesh and France soared from 210M€ to 4.9 billion€ today with France being the 5th country for exports.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">French companies are now involved in various sectors including engineering, energy, aerospace and water sectors. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>