PM hopes Bangladesh-EU relations to strengthen further

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday hoped that the relations between the European Union (EU) and Bangladesh would continue to strength further.

"EU-Bangladesh relations will continue to strengthen," she said when EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Rensje Teerink paid her farewell call to the Prime Minister at her official residence in Dhaka this morning.

PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed newsmen after the meeting.

The Prime Minister told the envoy that Bangladesh has attached priorities to environment in all of its development schemes as it is a climate vulnerable country.

Teerink told the premier that the EU member countries would extend support to Bangladesh to face the adverse impacts of climate change.

The Prime Minister expressed keenness to share Bangladesh's experience in dealing with the natural disasters.

"We can share the experience we have in handling natural disasters like flood, cyclone and river erosion," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh has adopted Delta Plan which will help tackle the climate change impacts.

She sought the EU's support to check the unexpected heat created in nature.

The Prime Minister and the EU ambassador also discussed about the Covid-19 situation.

The Prime Minister said her government has been able to control the coronavirus while the people of the country are showing interest in vaccination.

The outgoing EU envoy commended Bangladesh for handling the Covid-19 situation successfully.

The Prime Minister appraised the EU envoy about the river dredging in Bangladesh.

Rensje Teerink, who hails from the Netherlands, said that her country has some ambitious plans to help the climate vulnerable countries to face the climate change impacts.

The EU envoy said that her country has expertise in facing climate change issues and they can share it with Bangladesh.

Describing Bangladesh as a stable country, she commended the overall development of here, citing the Padma Multipurpose Bridge as an important part of development.

The EU envoy said they have worked with Bangladesh in the Social Safety Network Programme.

About the Rohingyas, Sheikh Hasina said it is becoming a security threat as many of the forcibly displaced people have engaged themselves in anti-social activities.

PM's Ambassador-at-large Mohammad Ziauddin and PM's Principal Secretary Dr. Ahmad Kaikaus were present during the meeting.

Source: BSS