European Union Ambassador to Bangladesh Mr. Charles Whiteley met State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam at latter's office yesterday.

The State Minister said that he looked forward to commencing the Political Dialogue with the EU next year.

He appreciated the EU’s role as a development and trading partner including during the COVID-19 pandemic. State Minister Alam and Ambassador Whiteley exchanged notes on the evolving COVID -19 situation in some parts of Europe.

The State Minister thanked the EU for relaxing the draft GSP regulation. The EU Ambassador said that “certain provision of concern for Bangladesh’s RMG industry is being looked into further in Brussels”.

The Bangladesh State Minister underscored the need for enhanced bilateral cooperation in climate action. He encouraged the European Investment Bank to further support regional hydropower projects, alongside other solar regional connectivity projects.

The State Minister also thanked the EU for its constructive engagement with Bangladesh’s Universal Periodic Review (UPN) recommendations implementation under the UN Human Rights Council.

They also discussed some issues concerning labour rights and migration. Ambassador Whiteley briefed the State Minister about some of the upcoming bilateral engagements in the coming year.