Staff Reporter:
Bangladesh and the European Union (EU) yesterday expressed readiness to discuss issues of mu-tual interest on the sidelines of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The willingness was expressed when EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller paid a courtesy call on state minister for foreign affairs Humaiun Kobir at the foreign ministry yesterday, said a ministry’s press release.
During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on the upcoming UNGA and discussed possible engagement on bilateral, regional and global issues on its sidelines.
They particularly expressed readiness to discuss the Rohingya crisis during the UNGA to help keep the protracted issue high on the international agenda.
Miller congratulated Kobir on his assumption of office.
The two sides expressed satisfaction over the longstanding and mutually beneficial Bangladesh-EU partnership and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening multifaceted engagement.
Kobir conveyed Bangladesh’s appreciation for the EU’s role as a trusted and reliable partner and reaffirmed Dhaka’s commitment to multilateralism, democratic values and a rules-based interna-tional order.
He also appreciated the bloc’s constructive engagement in Bangladesh’s democratic transition, including the deployment of the EU Election Observation Mission, as well as its support for the ongoing reform process.
The two sides discussed ways to deepen cooperation in trade and investment, including early pro-gress towards formal negotiations on a Bangladesh-EU Free Trade Agreement to strengthen long-term economic ties.
Migration management, cooperation in the aviation sector and sustainable development also fea-tured prominently in the discussion.
The state minister thanked the EU for its continued humanitarian assistance to the forcibly dis-placed Rohingyas sheltered in Bangladesh.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening Bangladesh-EU cooperation on bilateral, regional and global issues of common interest.
