State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Sunday encouraged greater French investment, particularly in pharmaceuticals, leather, ceramics and jute products, as she welcomed a three-member French Senate delegation for talks on strengthening bilateral ties.

The meeting, held at the foreign affairs ministry, focused on strengthening cooperation between democratic institutions and deepening engagement with the French Senate, including through greater interaction within the Inter-Parliamentary Union. France’s ambassador to Bangladesh also attended.

Islam highlighted Bangladesh’s interest in diversifying exports to France and encouraged greater French investment in these areas.

The state minister appreciated France’s continued support for Bangladesh’s democratic transition and socio-economic development, and pointed to potential cooperation in trade and investment, education, culture, migration and mobility and other areas of mutual interest.

The two sides agreed to pursue measures to enhance technical and vocational skills development for Bangladesh’s workforce.

Islam stressed the importance of creating more opportunities for legal and regular labour mobility, reaffirmed Bangladesh’s zero-tolerance policy towards irregular migration and human trafficking, and expressed readiness to work closely with France to prevent irregular migration.

They also exchanged views on regional and global issues, including the environment and climate change, women’s empowerment and multilateral cooperation, and reiterated their commitment to working together in multilateral fora.

The meeting concluded cordially with both sides expressing confidence that an exchange of parliamentary delegations would provide fresh impetus to Bangladesh-France relations and contribute to strengthening the longstanding friendship and partnership between the two democracies.