France
France, Germany renew alliance strained amid war in Ukraine
France and Germany are seeking to overcome differences laid bare by Russia's war in Ukraine and shore up their alliance with a day of ceremonies and talks Sunday on Europe’s security, energy and other challenges.
Germany’s entire Cabinet is in Paris for joint meetings, and 300 lawmakers from both countries are coming together at the Sorbonne University to mark 60 years since a landmark treaty sealed a bond between the longtime enemies that underpins today’s European Union.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will oversee two rounds of talks at the Elysee Palace, focusing first on energy and economic policy, and then on defense.
Read more: German caution on Ukraine arms rooted in political culture
A top priority is working out Europe’s response to the subsidies for U.S. electric car makers and other businesses in the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, according to senior French and German officials.
France wants Europe to counter what it considers an unfair move by Washington. Paris is pushing for the EU to relax rules on state subsidies in order to accelerate their allocation, simplify the bloc's support for investments and create an EU sovereign fund to boost green industries. Berlin, however, warns against protectionism.
On defense, the neighbors are expected to discuss military aid to Ukraine, according to French and German officials who weren't authorized to be publicly named according to their governments’ policies.
Both countries have contributed significant weaponry, but Ukraine is asking for tanks and more powerful arms as Russia’s war drags on.
Read more: Russia claims progress in eastern Ukraine; Kyiv craves tanks
The war has exposed differences in strategy between the two countries, notably in European talks on how to deal with the resulting energy crisis and punishing inflation, as well as over future military investment.
Sunday’s gathering is the first such in-person joint government meeting since 2019. It was originally scheduled for October, but was repeatedly delayed.
The officials are marking the 60th anniversary of the Elysee Treaty signed by French President and wartime anti-Nazi resistance leader Charles de Gaulle and West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer on Jan. 22, 1963.
French foreign ministry director calls on Bangladesh foreign secretary
Bertrand Lortholary, director for Asian Affairs at the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, called on Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen Thursday at the Foreign Service Academy.
Ambassador of France to Bangladesh Marie Masdupuy and Director General (West Europe and EU) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh Kazi Russel Pervez were also present.
During the meeting, both sides discussed different bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest, including the follow-up of the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to France in November 2021, political relations between the two countries, development cooperation, and defence cooperation.
Bertrand and Masud also talked about collaboration in aviation, space and aerospace technology, cultural cooperation and cooperation in archaeology, GSP+, repatriation of the Rohingya, the war in Ukraine, cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, and climate change.
Bertrand is on a two-day visit to Bangladesh to co-chair the first bilateral political consultations between Bangladesh and France.
Read more: Bangladesh, France keen to build partnership in aviation, space, aerospace technology
Bangladesh, France keen to build partnership in aviation, space, aerospace technology
Bangladesh and France have reasserted their will to build a "key partnership" in aviation, space and aerospace technology.
The countries affirmed their commitment to extend cooperation in political relations, development cooperation, trade and investment, defence cooperation, cooperation in science and technology including ICT and agriculture, cultural cooperation; cooperation in archaeology, diplomatic training in France, an exchange programme between diplomatic training academies and consular cooperation.
Bangladesh and France held the first bilateral political consultations Thursday in Dhaka.
The Bangladesh delegation at the consultations was led by Kazi Russel Pervez, director general (West Europe and European Union) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The French delegation was headed by Bertrand Lortholary, director for Asian Affairs of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.
Ambassador of France to Bangladesh Marie Masdupuy and representatives from different ministries of the Bangladesh government also joined the consultations.
Both sides also shared their views on various regional and international issues, including the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals, cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, cybercrime, counter-terrorism and violent extremism.
They had an extensive exchange of views on the war in Ukraine and reaffirmed their paramount attachments to the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, including territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Both sides recognised the absolute priority of addressing climate change-related issues in their bilateral cooperation as well as in multilateral fora.
They highlighted the importance of enhancing bilateral trade and exchanging business delegation.
The Bangladesh side invited France to enhance investment in the country, particularly in food and agro-processing, advanced manufacturing, consumer electronics, automotive, leather, and pharmaceuticals.
The two sides discussed the potential for deepening cooperation in research and development, especially in medical and environmental sciences.
They also acknowledged the prospects for strengthening cooperation in aviation security and maritime domain awareness.
The French side assured Bangladesh of appropriate consideration to support its bid for a GSP+ facility beyond 2029 under the EU's new GSP Regulation, in conjunction with EU institutions and member states.
Both Bangladesh and France acknowledged the value of sustained and substantive cooperation in relevant regional and multilateral fora, including the UN, ASEAN Regional Forum, and IORA.
The countries celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2022, and the launching of the bilateral political consultations will serve as a hallmark of their friendship, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the state visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to France in November 2021 at the invitation of the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, both sides highlighted their shared will to develop and deepen all aspects of their partnership through regular political consultations for strategic guidance.
Both sides agreed that the second bilateral political consultations would take place in Paris.
Read more: France keen to work together with Bangladesh for economic, social benefits
Indo-Pacific: France eyes closer cooperation with Bangladesh
France wants to enhance cooperation with Bangladesh and will have “ever closer” cooperation with countries of the Indo-Pacific, “significantly with Bangladesh” to address major challenges in terms of climate change and security, says a visiting senior French official.
“It gives us a golden opportunity to review the common works we pursue together, decide new projects and initiatives across the board,” Bertrand Lortholary, Director for Asian Affairs (General Political Directorate) at the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs told reporters on Thursday.
France and Bangladesh share the same vision for a “free, open, peaceful, secure and inclusive” Indo-Pacific region, based on international law and with shared prosperity for all.
Responding to a question, Lortholary said there is a lot the two countries can do and military to military cooperation is part of that defence and security cooperation.
“When we talk about security, we also talk about the security of maritime transport, traffic of goods on the oceans, and tackle together illegal fishing. We are also talking about the peacekeeping operations where Bangladesh has a prominent position,” he said.
Read more: France lauds Bangladesh's steady, outstanding development
Earlier, the French official had a political consultation with the Bangladesh side led by Director General (West Europe and EU) Kazi Russel Pervez and discussed issues of mutual interest including economic cooperation , people to people exchanges, connectivity, scientific cooperation and issues related to climate change.
Ambassador of France to Bangladesh Marie Masdupuy, Deputy Head of Mission Guillaume Audren de Kerdrel and Deputy Director, French Development Agency (FDA) Cecilia Cortese were also present at the meeting.
“We are enjoying a thriving relationship. We have a very solid foundation,” said the French official, referring to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s state visit to France in November 2021.
During Hasina’s state visit, the two countries stated their will to further develop the defence and security component of their partnership.
To that end, both countries agreed to strengthen dialogue and continue their cooperation, in particular the area of training, which was launched during the visit.
Read more: France keen to work together with Bangladesh for economic, social benefits
The two countries will be holding the second consultation in Paris next year.
World’s oldest known person, French nun, dies at 118
A French nun who was believed to be the world’s oldest person has died a few weeks before her 119th birthday, the spokesperson for her nursing home in southern France said Wednesday.
Lucile Randon, known as Sister André, was born in the town of Ales, southern France, on Feb. 11, 1904. She was also one of the world’s oldest survivors of COVID-19.
Spokesman David Tavella said she died at 2 a.m. on Tuesday at the Sainte-Catherine-Laboure nursing home in the town of Toulon.
The Gerontology Research Group, which validates details of people thought to be 110 or older, listed her as the oldest known person in the world after the death of Japan’s Kane Tanaka, aged 119, last year.
Read more: Benedict XVI, first pope to resign in 600 years, dies at 95
Sister André tested positive for the coronavirus in January 2021, shortly before her 117th birthday, but she had so few symptoms that she didn’t even realize she was infected. Her survival made headlines both in France and beyond.
In April last year, asked about her exceptional longevity through two world wars, she told French media that “working … makes you live. I worked until I was 108.”
She was known to enjoy a daily glass of wine and chocolate.
The oldest living known person in the world listed by the Gerontology Research Group is now American-born Maria Branyas Morera, who is living in Spain, and is 115.
Boosting cooperation with Bangladesh on political, economic, climate fronts priorities for France: Ambassador Marie Masdupuy
Newly appointed Ambassador of France to Bangladesh Marie Masdupuy has said she will focus on three priority areas during her tenure in Dhaka to take the relations to a new height that include to “maintain and boost” political relations which can be translated in many different ways.
“Bangladesh and France have a very old political relationship. Even before the Liberation of Bangladesh, France gave very important political support internationally. We were at the forefront of the Bangladesh cause. This is the imprint that we all bear in our minds,” she told UNB in an interview.
Sharing her three-fold priorities, Ambassador Masdupuy said the two countries can lead joint initiatives in the area of climate change, noting that France and Bangladesh are both champions in this area.
France is a champion in promoting multilateral initiatives to give a better framework to the international community about climate change issues while Bangladesh is a champion in terms of being one of the most vulnerable countries in the world when it comes to dealing with climate change impacts, the French envoy observed.
Read more: French photographer who documented Liberation War revisits Bangladesh after 50 years
Highlighting the trade and investment issues, Ambassador Masdupuy said there are not enough French companies in Bangladesh.
There were more before Covid-19 and some of them left during the pandemic. “We need to attract them back. This must be done through joint efforts by both countries,” said the ambassador.
“We want to bring in many more French companies,” said the ambassador, recalling her visit to Chattogram, which she finds to be a thriving region of Bangladesh.
She said the prospect of Chattogram is very encouraging and contribution of Chattogram division to Bangladesh’s national economy is huge, and the port itself is making huge contributions and efforts to get an international level of competition. “This is very encouraging.”
Talking about the CMA CGM, a French container transportation and shipping company, the ambassador said it is already the second largest freighter to and from Chattogram and they are looking forward to become more important as much as the port itself will technically adapt to their requests and needs and to get to the level of Colombo and Singapore.
Read More: Md. Monwar Hossain appointed as the next ambassador to Myanmar
Indo-Pacific Region
France and Bangladesh share the same vision for a “free, open, peaceful, secure and inclusive” Indo-Pacific region, based on international law and with shared prosperity for all.
Taking note of the French and European strategies concerning the Indo-Pacific, both countries agreed to work towards promoting regional peace and stability and to explore further opportunities for cooperation in maritime security and blue economy.
“You know, France in the European Union (EU) was the first country to offer all European partners a strategy for the Indo-Pacific region. This strategy was adopted with some small differences and it was made an EU strategy,” said the ambassador.
Responding to a question, the French envoy said, “This strategy is not meant to be confrontational. It was meant to enhance cooperation in the whole region which is one of the largest trade regions and human exchanges regions of the world.”
Read more: New French, Omani ambassadors present credentials to President
So, she mentioned, it is not meant to be confrontational with any country of the bigger region.
Highlighting their commitment to fully observing the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as well as the peaceful settlement of disputes, refraining from any threat or use of force, Bangladesh and France stated the importance of maintaining security and freedom of navigation and overflight in all seas and oceans.
Defence Cooperation
Ambassador Masdupuy said France is a world leader in terms of defence equipment and military equipment of high quality.
“Bangladesh is a country which already has various defence partners who have very strategic positions in South Asia,” she said, adding that any important country has to protect itself from all sorts of threats that they are facing today.
Read More: Ambassador Muhith elected vice-president of UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board
She said France is a world leader in terms of procurement and is, of course, ready and available to propose various equipment which would answer the particular needs of Bangladesh.
During Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s state visit to France in November 2021, the two countries stated their will to further develop the defence and security component of their partnership.
To that end, both countries agreed to strengthen dialogue and continue their cooperation, in particular the area of training, which was launched during the visit.
Furthermore, they committed to stepping up cooperation in the area of defence equipment based on the needs expressed and each party’s ability to respond to them, including through capacity building and potential technology transfer.
Read More: Amanul Haq appointed next Ambassador of Bangladesh to Turkey
In this regard, both parties welcomed the signing of a Letter of intent on defence cooperation.
GSP Plus
Bangladesh is currently enjoying trade facilities under the EBA (Everything but Arms) regime and the EBA regime will change as part of a technical measure.
“It will change once Bangladesh graduates as a developing country which is scheduled to happen in 2026. The friends of Bangladesh will look for ways and accompany during the transition period. We hope that the measures taken by your government will no doubt be adaptive to the situation. Your country will eventually take advantage of this new regime. It just needs a few adaptive measures.”
Airbus & Thales
Ambassador Masdupuy is thinking in particular of two important companies for greater engagements which are very actively involved currently on projects — the first being Airbus.
Read more: BGMEA chief calls on French brand to expand business base in Bangladesh
European aerospace giant Airbus is a leader in aviation and airspace while another company Thales is a major player in the high-tech industry in France.
Friendship based on Strong Bonding
Reflecting on 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the ambassador said, “It is true that the 50 years period is coming to an end soon. But we will have another 50 years event in April this year when we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Andre Malraux’s visit to Bangladesh.”
Andre Malraux, the famous French litterateur and politician, wanted to join the Bangladesh Liberation War and take over a military command.
Once Bangladesh was liberated, Malraux did not miss the opportunity to visit the newly liberated country. Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman personally invited Malraux in recognition of his contribution to Bangladesh’s liberation.
Read More: Ambassador Haas aims to continue strengthening Bangladesh-US ties in 2023
Two years into the country's independence, Malraux came to Bangladesh on 21 April, 1973.
During his five-day visit, Malraux traveled from Rajshahi to Chittagong and met freedom fighters, young university students, and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman twice.
Amid unrest, Iran’s hardliners turn their anger to France
Iranian hardliners on Sunday burned French flags outside the French embassy in Tehran, protesting cartoons published by the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo that lampoon Iran’s ruling clerics.
The caricatures were published at a time of persistent anti-government protests in Iran, now in their fourth month. Demonstrators are calling for the downfall of its Islamic Republic and are challenging its hardline establishment.
The demonstrations outside of the French embassy follow previous attempts by Iran’s rulers to mobilize their supporters in counter-demonstrations.
Hundreds of protesters, including students from seminary schools, shouted “Death to France” and accused French President Emmanuel Macron of insulting Iran while urging Paris to stop “animosity” toward Tehran. Police officers, some of whom appeared to be holding images of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, kept the demonstrators at a distance from the embassy building.
Read more: Iran executes 2 more men detained amid nationwide protests
State television said some clerics held similar protests in the shrine city of Qom, the center of religious learning in Iran.
Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf on Sunday linked the French magazine’s cartoons with what officials have repeatedly alleged is the West’s plot to spread purported riots in Iran.
Later in the day, President Ebrahim Raisi offered his first reaction to the French cartoons and echoed similar claims. “Resorting to insults on the pretext of freedom is a clear indication of their frustration in concluding plot for chaos and insecurity” in Iran, he said.
Charlie Hebdo has a long history of publishing vulgar cartoons mocking Islamists, which critics say are deeply insulting to Muslims. Two French-born al-Qaida extremists attacked the newspaper’s office in 2015, killing 12 cartoonists, and it has been the target of other attacks over the years.
Its latest issue features the winners of a recent cartoon contest in which entrants were asked to draw the most offensive caricatures of Supreme Leader Khamenei.
One of the finalists depicts a turbaned cleric reaching for a hangman’s noose as he drowns in blood, while another shows Khamenei clinging to a giant throne above the raised fists of protesters. Others depict more vulgar and sexually explicit scenes.
Read more: Iran authorities arrest actress of Oscar-winning movie
Anti-government protests erupted across Iran in September after the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who had been detained by the country’s morality police for allegedly violating its strict Islamic dress code.
The unrest has grown into one of the severest challenges to the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution that brought it to power. Human rights groups say that at least 517 protesters have been killed and over 19,200 people have been arrested amid a violent crackdown by security forces. Iranian authorities have not provided an official count of those killed or detained.
On Saturday, authorities executed two men convicted of allegedly killing a paramilitary volunteer in the demonstrations.
The Saturday hangings brought to four the number of people known to have been executed since the unrest began in September over the death of Amini. All of the sentences were handed out in rapid, closed-door trials that have been met with international criticism.
Sunday was also the third anniversary of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s downing of an Ukrainian passenger plane with two surface-to-air missiles, killing all 176 people on board — a tragedy that ignited an outburst of anger across Iran. Tehran initially denied responsibility for downing the plane before admitting to having mistakenly done so amid high tensions with the U.S.
An Iranian court has yet to issue a verdict three years into the trial of 10 military personnel who have not been publicly identified but are allegedly implicated in the plane’s downing.
Families of the victims met on Sunday at the site of the crash to hold a memorial ceremony separately from an official commemoration organized at Tehran’s international airport, which had been the point of departure for the flight.
In a separate development on Sunday, a court sentenced Faezeh Hashemi, daughter of former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, to a five-year prison term for “propaganda against the system,” Iranian media reported.
The outspoken and pro-reform Hashemi has been in prison since late September after she was arrested by security forces for supporting protests that have been led by women opposing the mandatory headscarf or hijab under the Islamic Republic.
In 2011, Hashemi was convicted and served five years in prison over similar security charges.
Iranian officials have continued to claim the months-long protests are being driven by foreign agents but have offered no proof.
Following Charlie Hebdo’s publishing of cartoons mocking Iranian clerical figures, authorities in Tehran shut down on Thursday a decades-old French research institute and called the closure a “first step” in their response.
France lauds Bangladesh's steady, outstanding development
Ambassador of France to Bangladesh Marie Masdupuy on Thursday applauded Bangladesh's "steady and outstanding" development, which supports its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2041.
The newly appointed Ambassador of France met Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and discussed issues of mutual interest.
Both sides exchanged views on cooperation in aviation, food processing, clean and green energy, climate change, food security, repatriation of the Rohingyas; and free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
The Foreign Minister assured the new Ambassador Marie Masdupuy full support and cooperation during her tenure in Bangladesh.
Read more: Bangladesh hopeful of France's support for its bid for GSP+ facility beyond 2029
Both sides agreed to further strengthen bilateral ties between the two friendly nations.
The Foreign Minister congratulated Ambassador Marie Masdupuy on her appointment as the Ambassador of France to Bangladesh and expressed his satisfaction at the excellent bilateral relations between the two countries.
He also recalled the support of France and contributions of the French intellectuals like André Malraux during our War of Liberation in 1971.
Read more: Study in France: Scholarship Opportunities and Overview for Bangladeshi Students
Bangladesh hopeful of France's support for its bid for GSP+ facility beyond 2029
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam has expressed his optimism that France will continue to support Bangladesh's bid for a GSP+ facility beyond 2029 under the European Union's new GSP Regulation.
Bangladesh is widely considered as a success story for the EU’s Everything-but-Arms (EBA) scheme.
The EBA scheme removes tariffs and quotas for all imports of goods (except arms and ammunition), coming into the EU from least developed countries (LDCs).
Read more: Dhaka-Tokyo relations to reach new heights; hopes Shahriar Alam
France’s defense minister goes to Ukraine to boost support
France’s defense minister arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday to discuss further military support for Ukraine, insisting the French government’s backing is unflagging while efforts are made to reach an eventual negotiated end to Russia’s invasion.
French Minister for the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu traveled to Ukraine’s capital after a trip to Poland, where he announced a deal Tuesday to sell Poland two French-made military satellites.
In Kyiv, Lecornu laid a wreath at a heroes’ monument to pay homage to Ukrainians who have died defending their country against Russia’s invasion. He was scheduled to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov and army officials.
While France has been less vocal about its military support for Ukraine than the United States and Britain, the country has sent a steady supply of weapons to Ukraine since Russia invaded on Feb. 24.
France also hosted two aid conferences for Ukraine this month. But many in Ukraine remain critical of the French government’s response to the war because of President Emmanuel Macron’s efforts to maintain contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin and seek a negotiated solution.
“Our support for Ukraine has been constant,” Lecornu tweeted ahead of his trip.
It was not immediately clear what concrete deals Lecornu’s talks in Kyiv might produce. He came to Ukraine a week after Zelenskyy visited the U.S., Ukraine’s chief ally, and with the fighting focused mostly in the country’s east but neither Moscow nor Kyiv reporting major gains in recent weeks.
Read more: Biden, Macron ready to talk Ukraine, trade in state visit
Russian forces have pressed their offensive to capture all of eastern Ukraine by concentrating on Bakhmut, a city in Donetsk province. Ukrainian forces were pushing a counteroffensive toward Kreminna, a city in neighboring Luhansk province, in hopes of reclaiming the area and potentially dividing Russia’d troops in the east.
France has supplied Ukraine with a substantial chunk of its arsenal of Caesar cannons, as well as anti-tank missiles, Crotale air defense missile batteries and rocket launchers. It is also training some 2,000 Ukrainian troops on French soil. Macron pledged last week to provide a new injection of weapons in early 2023.
Western military aid to Ukraine has angered Moscow. On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Washington and NATO of fueling the war with the aim to weaken Russia and warned the conflict could spin out of control.
Also on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree banning oil exports to countries that support a $60-per-barrel price cap that was declared by the European Union and Group of Seven countries in a bid to reduce Moscow’s revenue during wartime. The ban takes effect in February and is slated to run through July.
The price cap is higher than what Russian oil has sold for in recent weeks, so the potential effects of Putin’s ban are uncertain.
Russia invaded Ukraine 10 months ago, alleging a threat to its security orchestrated by NATO. The war has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions so far, with an end nowhere in sight.
Russian attacks on power stations and other infrastructure have left millions of Ukrainians without heating and electricity for hours or days at a time.
Read more: Ukraine president again presses West for advanced weapons
The latest Russian shelling has wounded at least eight civilians, including three in Bakhmut, the Donetsk region’s governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said.
In the southern region of Kherson, Russian shelling hit a maternity hospital soon after two women delivered babies there, although Ukrainian officials said no one was wounded. Regional Gov. Yaroslav Yanyshevych said the shelling also damaged apartment buildings, a kindergarten and a bakery.
The British Defense Ministry said in its daily assessment Tuesday that Russia has likely reinforced its front line near Kreminna as its forces come under continued pressure from the Ukrainian counteroffensive. Russia will likely prioritize holding the line in the logistically important area, the ministry said.
Ukraine’s foreign minister told The Associated Press this week that his government would like to see a peace conference by the end of February. Ukraine has said in the past that it wouldn’t negotiate with Russia before the full withdrawal of its troops, while Moscow insists its military gains and the 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula cannot be ignored.