President Macron to raise risks against ‘partitioning of the world’ at G-20
The HinduPresident Emmanuel Macron of France will speak against “partitioning of the world” in the G-20 summit to be held here during September 9-10 and focus on deepening French engagement with the Indo-Pacific region during his September 10 Dhaka visit, the French government said on September 4. Beginning with his historic visit to Colombo in July, President Macron has been expanding the scope of French relations with South Asia and his upcoming visit to India and Bangladesh, indicates the intensifying focus on the Indo-Pacific region where French historic presence goes back to the colonial era. That apart the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh has warmed up ties with France that first opened up with President Francois Mitterrand’s visit to Dhaka in 1990 when France proposed a flood-prevention mechanism for Bangladesh. In the remarks released on Monday, the French embassy indicated that some of these older discussions may be taken up during President Macron’s Dhaka visit and said, “Since the country is particularly vulnerable to climate change, the President will recall France’s determination to stand by Bangladesh on its humanitarian front, in particular in the face of regular floods.” The official statement also recognised the role of Bangladesh in dealing with the Rohingya crisis and global peacekeeping operations under the UN.