The first round of negotiations on the new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between Bangladesh and the European Union (EU) is being delayed as the plan for its initiation in September this year has been postponed.

The EU has shown the current situation as a reason behind the postponement. It was scheduled to be held in Dhaka.

“The first round of negotiations on the new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) foreseen in September has been postponed due to the prevailing situation,” EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley told UNB, quoting a message he received from Brussels.

The envoy also said a new date for starting the negotiations has not been fixed yet.   

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Bangladesh is willing to do it in November as the 79th session of the UN General Assembly opens on September 10, 2024, said a diplomatic source.

A Partnership and Cooperation (PCA) agreement is a legally binding agreement between the EU and third countries.

By means of a PCA, the EU works to support the democratic and economic development of a country.

A PCA is typically entered into for ten years, after which they are automatically extended each year provided no objections are raised.

Recently, Ambassador Whiteley said they are eyeing a “step change” in their relations with Bangladesh in the next five years, deepening the ties in core areas.

“I think in the next five years we would be really seeing a step change in our relationship,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after his meeting with Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud in January this year.

The EU ambassador said the relationship between Bangladesh and the EU will be driven by the new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA).

Read more: China encouraged by resumption of social order in Bangladesh.