Staff reporter:
Bangladesh has proposed sending skilled professionals to Kosovo under government-to-government cooperation to help meet workforce shortages in various sectors of the southeastern European country.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam made the proposal during a meeting with Kosovo’s Minister for Environment and Spatial Planning Fitore Pacolli-Dalipi at the Bangladesh Pavilion at COP31 on November 13, said a foreign ministry press release yesterday.
Shama proposed cooperation in skilled migration, enabling Bangladeshi professionals to work in areas where Kosovo faces a shortage of skilled personnel. The Kosovar minister took note of the proposal.
Bangladesh’s State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shaikh Faridul Islam and Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr Md Saimum Parvez also attended the meeting.
Both sides discussed strengthening bilateral relations through regular high-level dialogue at multilateral forums, political exchanges and visits by trade delegations.
They identified recycling, technology transfer, waste management and early warning systems as potential areas of cooperation.
The meeting also focused on climate-related challenges facing both countries and opportunities to address them through sharing knowledge and best practices.
Pacolli-Dalipi highlighted Kosovo’s challenges concerning floods, water management and air quality, while emphasising recycling and waste management. Shama briefed her on Bangladesh’s initiatives for flood control and waste management.
The Kosovar minister expressed her desire to visit Bangladesh, and Shama invited her to visit at a mutually convenient time.
Shama presented her with jute handicrafts and highlighted jute’s diverse uses as a biodegradable alternative to plastic.
She also invited the Kosovar minister to visit Bangladesh’s jute pavilion in the COP31 Green Zone.
