The 50-year-old treaty between France and Germany has expanded beyond the European Union to Bangladesh, where the first joint Franco-German embassy in the world is currently being built in Dhaka. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius will visit Dhaka together on Monday to strengthen relations, ahead of the upcoming climate conference in Paris. They will also participate in the topping-off ceremony of the new embassy in Baridhara. German Ambassador in Dhaka Thomas Prinz stated that the upcoming embassy, a collaboration between France and Germany, would be the first of its kind globally. He described the building's design, featuring different colored facade elements, as symbolizing the close relationship between the two nations. Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali referred to the visit as "historic," as it would be the first joint visit of its kind. Ali would be joining his counterparts on a trip to the Patuakhali district to observe projects addressing climate change. The officials from the foreign ministry mentioned that they would first have a working lunch at the state guest house Padma, hosted by Ali, before meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban. After attending the topping-off ceremony at the new joint embassy, they planned to leave Dhaka at night. The German ambassador explained that the idea for the joint embassy project originated from the 'joint declaration' during the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Elysée Treaty in January 2004. This declaration emphasized the decision to build a joint embassy in order to enhance the diplomatic and consular services of both countries. The foundation stone for the embassy was laid in 2013, marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaty. The Elysée Treaty, serving as a symbol of reconciliation, laid out the path for a close Franco-German friendship, cooperation, and partnership. Ambassador Prinz emphasized Germany's strong commitment to the European Union and its belief in the shared values of unity in diversity. He highlighted the significance of the Franco-German friendship in the overall functionality of the European Union. Both France and Germany provided support to Bangladesh during the 1971 War of Independence from Pakistan, and Germany remains Bangladesh's largest single-country trading partner in the EU, offering duty-free market access for all products. Both France and Germany work together with Bangladesh on a variety of international issues such as sustainable development, climate change preparedness, culture, and human rights. The visit is important globally as the German representative mentioned that challenges are becoming increasingly complex and often require international cooperation. For instance, he highlighted the need for global unity in combating climate change, emphasizing the importance of reaching an ambitious, comprehensive, and legally binding agreement at the upcoming climate conference in Paris in December.