Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to Bangladesh, H.E. Mr. Michael Miller, paid a courtesy call on H.E. Mr. HumaiunKobir, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today and conveyed his warm congratulations to the State Minister on his assumption of office. During this meeting,both sides expressed satisfaction with the longstanding and mutually beneficial Bangladesh-EU partnership and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the multifaceted engagement.

The State Minister conveyed Bangladesh’s appreciation for the EU’s trusted and reliable partnership and reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to multilateralism, democratic values and rules-based international order. He also appreciated the EU’s constructive engagement in Bangladesh for democratic transition, including through the EU Election Observation Mission and its support for ongoing reform process.They also exchanged views on the upcoming UNGA and expressed their readinessto discusson various issues of mutual interest on the sidelines of UNGA.

The two sides discussed ways to further deepen cooperation in trade and investments including early progression towards formal negotiations on the Bangladesh-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with a view to strengthening long-term economic ties. They also exchanged views on migration management, aviation sector, and sustainable development, among others.

The State Minister appreciated the EU’s continued humanitarian support for the Rohingyas sheltered in Bangladesh.Both sides alsoexpressed theirreadiness in discussing the Rohingya issue on the sidelines of the upcoming UNGA to keep it high on the international agenda.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening Bangladesh-EU cooperation on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest.