27 EU Ambassadors Hold Talks with Dr. Yunus in Dhaka on Future Relations

Dhaka (Eurotoday) – Ambassadors from the 27 EU member nations are sitting with Dr Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, to discuss a range of issues. 

A discussion is underway between Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and the delegates from all 27 European Union member states, including those deployed in Dhaka and New Delhi. 

As reported by The Business Standard, the delegation is headed by Michael Miller, the EU Ambassador to Bangladesh and charge of the European Union Delegation to Bangladesh.

The session started at noon today, 9 Dec 2024, at the Chief Advisor’s Office. The gathering is expected to cover a range of topics, including contemporary issues, enhancing economic cooperation, and analysing potential partnerships between Bangladesh and the EU.

Earlier on 5 December, Rafiqul Alam, director general of the Public Diplomacy Wing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, expressed during a weekly briefing that the upcoming conference will aim to chart the course for continued trade and economic collaboration as Bangladesh transitions out of the LDC category.

“This will be a unique opportunity to discuss a broad range of issues, including enhanced cooperation in economic sectors, the Rohingya crisis, post-LDC Generalized Scheme of Preferences plus (GSP+) facilities, and a potential Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with Bangladesh,” he stated at the briefing. 

The EU trade ties with Bangladesh have been docked in the Everything But Arms (EBA) initiative, granting duty-free, quota-free market access to the least developed countries (LDCs) since 2001. This is the first time that representatives from all 27 EU countries will assemble for a joint meeting with the Bangladeshi government, signalling their collective obligation to deepen ties, foreign ministry sources stated.