State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam has met Prime Minister of Eswatini Russell Dlamini and outlined Bangladesh’s climate priorities, including limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, ensuring accessible and predictable grant-based climate finance, achieving adaptation goals and pursuing a just transition.
She has also highlighted the government’s target of generating 20 percent of the country’s total electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and 30 percent by 2040.
The meeting was held at the Bangladesh Pavilion in the Blue Zone of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, on Thursday.
Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Dr Saimum Parvez and Eswatini’s Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Jane Mkhonta-Simelane were also present at the meeting.
Eswatini’s prime minister praised Bangladesh’s role in global climate negotiations, noting that the two countries share similar climate priorities.
Both sides also exchanged views on building a bridge of cooperation from COP31 in Antalya to COP32 in Addis Ababa, which will be hosted on the African continent.
Jute, Bangladesh’s golden fibre, featured prominently in the discussions.
Shama highlighted jute as a renewable and biodegradable alternative to plastic, offering an opportunity to link climate action with economic benefits.
She praised Eswatini’s total ban on single-use plastic bags and suggested that jute and jute-based products could serve as environment-friendly alternatives to plastic bags.
The state minister also invited the Eswatini prime minister to visit Bangladesh’s jute pavilion in the Green Zone of COP31 to explore the versatility and potential of jute.
She highlighted circularity and sustainability initiatives in Bangladesh’s garment industry and encouraged Eswatini to import more sustainable and affordable garment products from Bangladesh.
Healthcare also emerged as a key area of potential cooperation.
Russell Dlamini shared his country's needs in the healthcare sector, while the state minister highlighted Bangladesh’s strengths in pharmaceuticals.
Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical industry exports quality-assured and affordable medicines to more than 150 countries, Shama said, expressing her country’s readiness to support Eswatini in meeting its healthcare needs.
Both sides reaffirmed the friendly relations between the two countries as fellow members of the Commonwealth and partners in the Global South.
They agreed to strengthen people-to-people ties, trade and investment, and cooperation in various multilateral forums on issues of mutual interest.
The state minister also urged Eswatini to extend stronger and continued support for the early repatriation of forcibly displaced Rohingyas to their homeland in Myanmar.
At the end of the meeting, she presented the Eswatini prime minister with an exquisite jacket made of jute fabric.
Russell Dlamini was highly impressed with the gift and appreciated Shama’s efforts to promote jute and jute-based products.