EU wants deal on comprehensive partnership with Bangladesh: Ursula to Yunus
The European Union (EU) has expressed interest to continue ongoing collaboration with Bangladesh and explore new avenues to build partnerships, including through a possible Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation agreement.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in a recent letter to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus expressed the EU's interests stating they remain open to discussing specific needs with sectoral partners and considering additional support that aligns with ongoing initiatives.
In the letter, she mentioned her meeting in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2024 and the chief adviser's valuable insights on the situation in Bangladesh and the expectations in the country.
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The EU stands ready to support a reform process, which should be peaceful and inclusive, respectful of democratic principles, human rights and the rule of law, and lead to transparent, inclusive and credible elections, she said.
"I warmly welcome your commitment to sustainable development, the green transition, the fight against corruption and the advancement of digitalisation of financial systems. The EU is already engaging on these issues with Bangladesh, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with your country and exploring new avenues to build our partnership, including through a possible Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. We remain open to discussing specific needs with sectoral partners and considering additional support that aligns with ongoing initiatives," she said in the letter.
There is substantial potential under the Global Gateway for EU investments in secure and reliable networks and connectivity, including railways, water resources, climate adaptation, health, digital and energy, the EU official mentioned.
"In parallel, we are working with your administration to bolster the capacity of key institutions. We intend to maximise the impact of this work by integrating targeted technical assistance to support policy development and effective governance in these sectors, sharing EU experience where relevant," reads the letter.
"I wish to express my full commitment to ensure the smooth implementation of EU- Bangladesh cooperation. The EU stands ready to establish regular coordination meetings to ensure a strategic dialogue to provide timely updates on EU programmes, thorough reviews of our support and address new requests to reinforce our shared priorities and strengthen our partnership," she said.
