Dhaka, Berlin to work closely to further strengthen bilateral ties

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DHAKA, Oct 09, 2016 (BN) – Dhaka and Berlin have agreed to work closely to strengthen further bilateral ties by boosting mutual cooperation in different areas and addressing global challenges of terrorism and violent extremism.

It was agreed while Bangladesh Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and his German counterpart Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier held bilateral official talks at Berlin on Friday, according to a message received here yesterday.

During the meeting, the Bangladesh foreign minister apprised his German counterpart about the sustained economic growth of Bangladesh and urged the German side to seize the opportunity to broaden their engagements in Bangladesh, particularly in terms of trade and investment.

Both the ministers exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, including the on-going refugee and migration crisis in Europe.

They also discussed about orderly migration and mobility of people within the context of the upcoming Summit on Global Forum for Migration and Development (GFMD) to be held in Dhaka in December 2016.

Terming the relationship between Bangladesh and Germany very warm and deep, Foreign Minister Ali reiterated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s invitation to German Chancellor Angela Merkel to visit Bangladesh to take the relations to a new height.

Foreign Minister Ali began his two-day visit to Germany meeting a high level business delegation of the German-Asia Pacific Business Community (OAV) on Thursday in Hamburg.

The interactive luncheon meeting was represented by prominent German business persons having diverse and long standing business interests in Bangladesh in areas ranging from IT, shipbuilding, power and energy, banking, pharmaceuticals, jute products and readymade garments.

According to statistics, readymade garments accounts for more than 85% of total Bangladesh export (around US$ 5 billion in FY 2015-2016) to Germany.

Peter Clasen, who has more than 100 years of family business association with Bangladesh, gave the welcome speech and moderated the interactive session when Bangladesh Ambassador to Germany Muhammad Ali Sorcar and Honorary Consul of Bangladesh in Hamburg Walter Stork, among others, were present.

A number of innovative ideas were brought to the attention of the Bangladesh foreign minister that included diversified use of jute products in reinforcement of plastic components of cars, jute sticks as base materials for 3-D printers and using jute as a natural ingredient viz-a’-viz currently used biodegradable products.

Two Swedish women entrepreneurs presented their case and sought assistance in setting up joint-ventures in Bangladesh with these innovative and potentially high-end trendy jute products.

The German business association (OAV) informed that an IT delegation would soon visit Bangladesh and sought minister’s support with regard to facilitation of doing business more easily in Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh foreign minister welcomed new and innovative business ideas and assured to extend all the cooperation for continued business tie between Bangladesh and Germany.

Minister Ali led his delegation at the meeting with the First Mayor of Hamburg Olaf Scholz at the Town Hall on Thursday and exchanged views on issues of mutual interests.

He also visited the German Bundestag (Parliament) and held a meeting with Niels Annen, Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) Parliamentary Group in the German Bundestag and Chairman of the SPD’s Commission on International Politics, the message added.

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Dhaka, Berlin to work closely to further strengthen bilateral ties