France, Bangladesh Boost Climate Ties

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR), held a bilateral meeting with the Ambassador of France to Bangladesh, Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet, at the Ministry of Water Resources office in the Bangladesh Secretariat today (Tuesday, November 25, 2025), focusing on advancing climate resilience and bilateral cooperation.

The discussion centred on aligning shared values and accelerating the implementation and financing of several key environmental and water-related projects supported by the French Development Agency (AFD).

Ambassador Séré-Charlet reaffirmed France's commitment to supporting Bangladesh's climate agenda, noting that the cooperation spans various sectors, including adaptation, biodiversity protection, and budget support for climate implementation.

Advisor Rizwana Hasan stressed the need for streamlined internal governmental processes, particularly requesting a clear list of projects requiring swift departmental clearance and ensure timely execution. She highlighted the urgency of finalising project documents and expressed readiness to move forward quickly on pending initiatives.

Both sides agreed on the importance of continued high-level engagement to overcome administrative hurdles and push forward climate mitigation and adaptation priorities.

Also present at the meeting were Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Secretary of MoEFCC, Mohammad Navid Shafiullah, Additional Secretary for Climate Change, and Joint Secretary Lubna Yeasmin, along with high officials from the French Embassy.