State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam today sought France's support for Bangladesh's candidature for the Presidency of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly for the term 2026-2027.

The appeal was made when French Ambassador to Bangladesh Jean-Marc S‚r‚-Charlet paid a courtesy call on the State Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this afternoon, said a foreign ministry's press release here. 

During the meeting, the Ambassador congratulated the State Minister on her recent assumption of the office and expressed optimism that the longstanding bilateral relations between Bangladesh and France would be further strengthened during her tenure.

The State Minister acknowledged France's continued development cooperation with Bangladesh across a wide range of sectors and noted that the partnership has expanded significantly over the years.

The two sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation in areas including trade and investment, climate action, culture, women's empowerment, sustainable development, education and skills development, connectivity, migration and global peace and security.

They also exchanged views on regional and global developments, underscoring the importance of dialogue, mutual respect, restraint and adherence to international law in maintaining global peace, stability and security.

Shama Obaed Islam expressed Bangladesh's interest in exploring additional avenues to deepen trade and investment relations with the European Union within the framework of existing arrangements and cooperation mechanisms to sustain the competitiveness of Bangladeshi exports in the EU market.

Ambassador S‚r‚-Charlet reaffirmed France's commitment to further strengthening bilateral cooperation with Bangladesh in pursuit of shared goals of peace, prosperity and progress.