Brussels: Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman on Monday briefed European Union (EU) High Representative and Vice-President Kaja Kallas on Bangladesh’s recent democratic developments and the government’s ongoing reform, reconstruction, and development efforts under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. He expressed gratitude to Kallas for the EU’s strong election observation mission during the recent parliamentary elections.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Kallas commended Bangladesh for conducting successful and credible elections, as noted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Both parties emphasized the importance of deepening cooperation in trade, investment, regional cooperation, migration, mobility, and humanitarian issues. The Foreign Minister underscored predictable market access as a critical priority for Bangladesh and advocated for advancing discussions on a Bangladesh-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and an Investment Protection Agreement (IPA).
Dr Khalilur Rahman was accompanied by several key officials, including Humaiun Kobir, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam, Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nahida Sobhan, Ambassador to Geneva, and Khandker Masudul Alam, Ambassador to Belgium and Head of Mission to the EU. The visit marked a significant milestone as both sides initialled the Bangladesh-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), with both leaders describing it as a comprehensive framework aiming to elevate relations across various domains.
The Foreign Minister also thanked the EU for its support in Rohingya humanitarian operations and sought continued engagement for a sustainable solution to the crisis.
In another key engagement, Dr Khalilur Rahman met with Maxime Pr©vot, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, to review Bangladesh-Belgium relations. They explored avenues for enhanced cooperation in trade, investment, connectivity, and innovation. Both sides agreed to hold the 3rd Bangladesh-Belgium Consultations in Brussels later this year, with an emphasis on areas like logistics, biotech, and water management.
The Foreign Minister further engaged with Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, to discuss expanding Bangladesh-EU cooperation in research, science, technology, and startups. The discussions highlighted opportunities for collaboration under Horizon Europe, focusing on areas such as artificial intelligence, digital innovation, energy efficiency, and sustainable development.