The European Union (EU) on Monday said they look forward to the new Bangladesh-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) which will be ‘initialed’ during the visit of Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman to Brussels on April 20, enhancing cooperation across the board.
The EU expressed support for priority reforms, economic modernisation and managed migration, stressing the importance of a level playing field to promote investment.
“Shared values underpin the EU’s partnerships around the world,” said the EU Embassy in Dhaka after Ambassador of the EU Delegation to Bangladesh Michael Miller with Ambassadors of EU Member States resident in Dhaka (France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, along with the Chargés d’Affaires of Denmark and Sweden) paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at his office.
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During the meeting, the Heads of Mission of Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the EU passed a ‘message of readiness’ to intensify relations with the new government.
They congratulated the Prime Minister on his landslide victory in the recent general election and expressed strong support to the government.
Both sides reaffirmed their strong commitment to further strengthening the longstanding and mutually beneficial Bangladesh-EU partnership, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
They expressed satisfaction with the steady progress of bilateral relations, noting that the partnership has evolved into a comprehensive and multifaceted engagement encompassing all sectors of mutual interest.
The PCA aims to provide a “comprehensive and robust framework” for Bangladesh-EU relations with a view to enhancing cooperation in multifarious sectors while guiding the future interactions in the face of new global realities and emerging challenges.
The PCA will give Bangladesh-EU relations a new legal foundation, which is more comprehensive and up-to-date and will respond better to current and evolving challenges, according to the EU.
Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Md Nazrul Islam will accompany the Foreign Minister during visit to Brussels, the capital of Belgium.