Bangladesh will make its own decisions, no pressure involved: Jean-Marc

Mr. Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet, France’s Ambassador to Dhaka, has said France does not follow a policy of pressuring its bilateral partners. He said Paris wants to work with Bangladesh on a partnership basis rather than force it to make any particular decision. He also said Bangladesh will never be forced to choose sides between Europe and the United States.

The French Ambassador made these remarks yesterday, Tuesday, at a DCAB Talk organized by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) at the National Press Club. He said France believes in partnership, not exclusion. He noted that France has a long standing friendly relationship with Washington, and for that reason Bangladesh will never be told it must choose between Europe and the United States.

On the question of Bangladesh’s strategic economic autonomy, Mr. Séré-Charlet said some countries try to impose their decisions on others, but Bangladesh’s decisions should be Bangladesh’s own to make. He said Brussels remains open to dialogue at all times, though that does not mean Europe will accept every decision Bangladesh makes. Still, he stressed that no one will set a condition requiring Bangladesh to choose Brussels over Washington.

Highlighting the historical ties between France and the United States, he said the US gained independence through the 1783 Treaty of Versailles, and that France was already a friend of the United States even before it emerged as an independent nation. He said this makes the France-US friendship a very old one.

The Ambassador also spoke about the European Union’s call for a level playing field regarding Airbus purchases. He said 61 specific areas have been identified in Bangladesh where transparency is lacking, and that there are commitments to work on these issues. He said France wants its companies to get fair and equal competitive opportunities, and that Europe remains ready to discuss a free trade agreement (FTA) as well.

Addressing allegations that France pressured Bangladesh over Airbus purchases, Mr. Séré-Charlet said he has never told any Bangladeshi minister that France would take action if Airbus jets were not purchased by the next day. He said France does not operate that way and believes in genuine partnership.

The Ambassador stressed the need to deepen relations between Bangladesh and Europe further. He said only seven European countries currently have full embassies in Bangladesh, while the remaining 20 do not, meaning many of these countries lack a clear picture of what is happening in Bangladesh. He said this is not about punishing or threatening Bangladesh, but rather that many of these countries simply do not see their own interests represented in Bangladesh.

He also emphasized the importance of more Bangladeshi students going to France and more French students coming to Bangladesh. Speaking about France’s positive view of Bangladesh’s reform and democratic transition, he said the Bangladeshi people want change in their institutions and systems. The Ambassador also expressed French interest in cooperating on Bangladesh’s proposed upper house, saying France has offered to send experts to share insights on its own bicameral parliamentary system.

On the Rohingya crisis, he said France has pledged new funding for the Rohingya fund through the United Nations. He noted that Bangladesh cannot resolve this crisis alone, and said France would continue its political and financial support.