Bangladesh seeks to strengthen development cooperation with France: Moyeen Khan
France is financing around Tk 12,500 crore as project assistance for these projects.
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan today (7 October) laid emphasis on further strengthening and expanding development cooperation with France.
He said this when French Ambassador to Bangladesh Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet called on him at the Secretariat here.
During the meeting, they discussed various issues of mutual interest between the two countries.
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The meeting discussed increasing French investment in Bangladesh, strengthening cooperation in ongoing development projects, assistance for new projects and expanding trade and commerce.
They also discussed the Bangladesh government's purchase of 10 aircraft from France's Airbus, expressing satisfaction over the matter.
Dr Moyeen Khan said France's longstanding cooperation has played an important role in developing Bangladesh's infrastructure, water supply, sanitation and urban management.
Expanding this cooperation could take the development partnership between the two countries to a new level, he added.
Currently, four projects are being implemented with the French development agency Agence Française de Développement (AFD) in collaboration with the Local Government Division.
These are the Saidabad Water Treatment Plant (Phase III), the Dhaka Environmentally Sustainable Water Supply Project (Phase III), the Chattogram Metropolitan Sanitation Project for the North Kattali Catchment, and the Improving Urban Governance and Infrastructure Project.
France is financing around Tk 12,500 crore as project assistance for these projects.
Besides, an initiative has been taken to implement the "Water Supply, Inclusive Sanitation and Hygiene Project in Urban and Towns of Bangladesh" with French assistance to improve water supply, inclusive sanitation and hygiene in urban and municipal areas of Bangladesh.
The meeting emphasised on investment and business expansion between the two countries, effective implementation of development projects and creating new areas of cooperation in the future.
Local Government Division Secretary Shahidul Hasan, Director General of the Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Inspection Wing Shibir Bichitra Barua and senior officials of the ministry were present.
