The Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Sjoerd Sjoerdsma paid a courtesy call on State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today. Ambassador of the Netherlands to Bangladesh Joris van Bommel also attended the meeting.

Both dignitaries noted that new governments had taken office in both the countries in February 2026. They expressed interest in deepening the economic partnership through enhanced trade and investment, particularly in shipbuilding, maritime infrastructure, textiles, water management, semiconductors and agricultural supply chains, including cold-chain development.

The Dutch Minister highlighted visit of a maritime trade mission and prospective visits on textiles and water issues, and expressed interest in strengthening the strategic partnership over the next 50 years. Bangladesh also highlighted possible cooperation in shipbuilding, semiconductors and continued support for the apparel industry among other issues. The State Minister sought Dutch support for Bangladesh’s LDC graduation extension request and progress towards Bangladesh–EU FTA negotiations, noting the impact of recent global crises.

The two sides appreciated the longstanding cooperation in the water sector and explored ways to enhance technical cooperation in water and delta management, including canal excavation, in the wake of climate change. The State Minister noted that water management was a priority for the Prime Minister.

The two sides also touched upon the Rohingya issue and the importance of continued international engagement towards a durable solution to the crisis.

The State Minister highlighted Prime Minister’s aspiration for quality governance. They exchanged views on migration and strengthening collaboration in multilateral settings, including Bangladesh’s presidency of the 81st UN General Assembly, the pace of UN reform and other multilateral issues.