Macron’s visit likely on Sept 11: Momen

French President Emmanuel Macron is likely to visit Bangladesh on September 11 and climate change, Rohingya and trade issues will be among the topics of bilateral discussion, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said.

The French president is expected to visit Dhaka after attending the G20 summit in New Delhi scheduled for September 9-10.

France is a major player in climate change, especially in the Loss and Damage Initiative through which the climate-affected countries can get compensation, Momen told reporters after an event at the Foreign Service Academy yesterday.

He said the major powers in Europe can also play an important role in helping address the Rohingya crisis.

"We will also talk about our bilateral trade and investment, regular migration etc during his visit," Momen said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, during her visit to France in November 2021, extended an invitation to the French president.

Macron may hold a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during his visit here on September 11, officials concerned said.

Meanwhile, Momen said, Bangladesh would raise the Rohingya issue during Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's visit to Bangladesh on September 7-8.

He said the Russian Foreign Minister will also meet Sheikh Hasina during his stay in Dhaka. The Russian FM will attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi after completing his visit to Bangladesh.

"We will have a bilateral meeting the day when he will arrive here. We have many bilateral issues to discuss including the Rohingya issue," he said.

Besides, Dhaka will also discuss the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project being implemented with Russian support, foreign ministry officials said.

"Besides, we will also discuss the possibility of employing our workers in the shipbuilding sector of Russia," a diplomatic source told this correspondent.

During yesterday's event at the Foreign Service Academy, Momen also said countries that always raise issues regarding democracy and human rights, should know Bangladesh's tragic history of political killings, coups, and military regimes that blatantly undermined democracy, human rights, and justice.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a seminar titled "Brutalities of 1975: Impacts on Human Rights and Governance Discourse of Bangladesh" there yesterday, which was attended by foreign diplomats, ministry officials, and civil society members.

Sharing the history of the killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his entire family in 1975, and the impunity that followed, the minister said unelected governments can never uphold democracy and human rights.

"The foreign diplomats should know the history -- how the family of Bangabandhu was killed, then indemnity laws were enacted, and then military regimes attempted to destroy democracy and uproot the values of the Liberation War," Momen told journalists after the event.

"Even, we saw a rise in militancy, series of bomb attacks during BNP's period. Attempts were made to kill our Prime Minster Sheikh Hasina too," he said.