<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Dhaka and Paris on Monday signed two bilateral instruments (agreements/MoUs) to enhance cooperation in different fields including infrastructure and satellite, officials said.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The documents were inked in presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and France President Emmanuel Macron at Karobi Hall of the Prime Minister’s Office here in the city.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">These are:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">1. A Credit Facility Agreement between Economic Relations Division (ERD), Bangladesh and the France Development Agency (AFD), France on "Improving Urban Governance and Infrastructure Program" and</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">2. Letter of Intent (LOI) on Cooperation between Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL) and Airbus Defence and Space SAS, France related to Bangabandhu-2 Earth Observation Satellite System.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Earlier, Hasina and Macron held talks to explore new areas of cooperation between the two countries.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Macron, the first French president to visit 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>