The meeting of the EU Ambassador with the Prime Minister took place

The Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was received by Charles Whiteley, Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to Bangladesh and Head of the Delegation. He met the Prime Minister’s Office at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Tuesday (June 21).

This information has been given in a press release from the press wing of the Prime Minister.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister lauded Ambassador Whitley’s commitment and efforts to further enhance and diversify Bangladesh-EU relations.

Sheikh Hasina explained the current flood situation in the northeastern part of Bangladesh. During his brief visit there, he held discussions with volunteers, party workers and government agencies who are actively working to rescue the victims.

The EU Ambassador expressed satisfaction over Bangladesh’s readiness and resilience in dealing with such seasonal natural disasters, mainly caused by monsoon rains.

Sheikh Hasina said her government has taken immediate action to deal with the situation and has built cyclone shelters in the south of Bangladesh and multi-purpose flood shelters in the north as disaster preparedness.

Minister said, ‘Bangladesh as a riverine country is facing strong challenges from river erosion and the impact of climate change. To that end, he briefly outlined his vision, including the Bangladesh Delta Plan-2100.

Bangabandhu Kanya also highlighted the tremendous progress of Bangladesh during the last 13 and a half years of Awami League government. He reiterated that Bangladesh will finally get transition from LDC in 2026.

Referring to the fact that EU countries are Bangladesh’s largest export destination, Sheikh Hasina lauded the EU’s continued trade priority in the form of Everything-But-Arms (EBA) Initiative. He reiterated his government’s continued commitment to work closely with the EU on trade-related issues.

In this context, Ambassador Whiteley praised Bangladesh’s growing green garments industry and wished a smooth transition from LDCs to Bangladesh. He assured that the new EU GSP Regulation has already considered Bangladesh for GSP + benefits till 2029.

Sheikh Hasina has said she is hopeful of continued EU support beyond 2029.

Talking about the Padma Bridge, Sheikh Hasina said that after its inauguration, it would open a new horizon for the southern districts of Bangladesh. The economic recovery will undoubtedly be too much. Because these districts will become centers of massive industrialization, which will require more power generation and construction of port facilities.

To this end, the EU delegation chief praised Bangladesh’s tax system for attracting more foreign investment than other countries.