France hopeful of Dhaka's support

Visiting French Special Envoy Pascal Lamy yesterday was optimistic of getting Bangladesh's support to France's bid on hosting World Expo 2025, taking into consideration the “vibrant” bilateral relations.

“France and Bangladesh are well aligned,” Lamy, also a former director general of World Trade Organization, told reporters at the French embassy.

He, however, said Bangladesh was to take the decision considering the “technical, economic, diplomatic and political” relations too.

Lamy said the European Union would remain the largest market for Bangladesh, which might come into consideration apart from cooperation in other areas including technology.

There are issues that matter to both countries equally, he said, mentioning of a five-year cooperation project on technology and environmental sustainability from which Bangladesh could benefit from.

Responding to a question, Lamy said the international community needs to exert more “political pressure” on Myanmar to find a solution to the Rohingya crisis. “Still lots of political pressures need to be exerted,” he said.

He laid emphasis on the repatriation of Rohingyas and reiterated support for Bangladesh.

Earlier in the morning, Lamy sought support for France's bid meeting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office.

Referring to French President Emmanuel Macron who described attacks on Myanmar's Rohingya minority as “genocide”, he said France deployed its support for a solution at the international level. In response, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh would consider the matter.

France (in Greater Paris), Japan (in Osaka), the Russian Federation (in Ekaterinburg), and Azerbaijan (in Baku) -- are seeking to host the World Expo 2025.

The bid was submitted on September 28 to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), an intergovernmental organisation in charge of overseeing and regulating world expos.

The 170 member states of BIE will elect the host country at the 164th General Assembly in November 2018.

The theme chosen for this expo is “Knowledge sharing and protection of the planet”, which reflects the priorities of international action to protect the planet, while 2025 will coincide with the 10th anniversary of the Paris Climate Agreement.

France had hosted five major world exhibitions in the 19th century, and hosted an international exhibition on modern art and technology in 1937.

The country thinks that the expo is an opportunity for French citizens and the country to redesign their openness to the world and French adherence to universal values.

Explaining France's vision behind the candidacy, Lamy said he has so far visited 15 countries and would be going to others which matter most to France.

“I'm here to build support for Bangladesh. We hope we'll win,” he said.

Md Monibur Rahman, a Bangladeshi youth ambassador for France, also spoke at the press conference and described his role.

“We're a group of young, passionate, changemakers with a common vision and motivation to leave our footprint in the world,” said Rahman, one of the 100 ambassadors selected by the French government.

“By supporting the French candidacy, we're helping in the protection of our climate,” he said.