Bangladesh is heavily engaged with European countries to improve bilateral relationship with them. Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali has a series of meetings with important foreign ministers of the European countries on the sideline of Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) where substantial issues were discussed. He met EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier, Belgian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Didier Reynders, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders, Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina returned from the Netherlands Friday after concluding her bilateral trip. She is also going to France in the middle of November and will have a bilateral meeting with the top leadership of the country. A press release of the Foreign Ministry said in the meeting with Mahmood Ali, Luxembuorg expressed their keenness to conclude an Air Service Agreement with Bangladesh which could be mutually beneficial while Belgium expressed their interest on further development of port and energy infrastructure in Bangladesh. The ministers also discussed situation in Bangladesh’s negibuorhood when Mahmood Ali apprised them of various initiatives at bilateral and sub-regional level, including the connectivity initiatives like BBIN, BCIM EC. The Bangladesh foreign minister also apprised the ministers of the burgeoning manufacturing and knowledge-intensive industries, including pharmaceuticals, ship-building, information technology and ITES. Drawing on the government’s effort to launch as many as 100 economic zones to spear planned and sustainable industrialization, he invited his counterparts from industrialized countries to explore potential investment opportunities. He also dwell on the growth of Bangladesh agriculture with value-added opportunities which offer opportunities for European SMEs to engage and invest in Bangladesh. The foreign minister also extended invitation to his Belgian and Luxembuorg counterparts to visit Bangladesh which they welcomed. The delegation of Lithonia also met Mahmood Ali and conveyed their interest to launch a research publication to demonstrate considerable similarities between Bangla and Lithuanian languages. Foreign Minister welcomed the initiative and proposed for its launching during the 2016 Ekushey Boi Mela in Dhaka. He also conveyed Bangladesh Prime Minister’s keenness to invite the Lithuanian President which the Lithuanian side readily welcomed. At the retreat of the foreign ministers, Mahmud Ali recounted that within Bangladesh and South Asia, resolute determination of the political leadership is key to tackle violent extremism. He said, being a victim of terrorism, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina affirms zero tolerance to any form of terrorism, including financing of terrorism, radicalisation and violent extremism, nationally and internationally. Within the neighbourhood, through concerted actions, Bangladesh has significantly curbed terrorists’ activities. Underlining the complexities of violent extremism, he emphasised on whole-of-societ mobilisation across countries. The minister emphasised that migration and refugees are also issues which need concerted regional and international responses. There is also need to address the root causes of both regular and irregular migration and steps must be taken in countering smuggling and trafficking in persons, especially with a gender perspective, as women victims suffer disproportionately more.
