France invested €2b in Bangladesh over past 14 years: Envoy

France has invested €2 billion in Bangladesh through the French Development Agency over the past 14 years and remains committed to continuing its investment, French Ambassador to Bangladesh Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet said today (29 July).

Speaking at the "Meet the Ambassador programme" organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) at the University of Rajshahi, he also said France hopes to see more Bangladeshi students pursue higher education there while encouraging more French students to study in Bangladesh.

On the Middle East issue, the ambassador called for peace and said both France and Bangladesh support the establishment of a Palestinian state.

He said France has not yet formally recognised Palestine because it has traditionally done so only after borders are clearly defined, adding that the issue remains unresolved amid the conflict with Israel.

Reflecting on international relations, Séré-Charlet described the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 as a turning point in global politics and said the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 without UN approval marked another defining moment.

"France, Germany and several other countries opposed the invasion, but the US proceeded with it. In my view, that was a defining moment for global diplomacy," he said.

The ambassador said countries must work more closely together to tackle increasingly complex global challenges.

Referring to the wildfires in southern France, he said the destruction showed why countries need to work together to tackle global challenges.

"France believes these global challenges can only be addressed through collective action," he said.

The discussion was moderated by CGS President Zillur Rahman and attended by teachers, students and representatives of civil society.