Iftekhar-Solana hold talks

The cooperation between Bangladesh and European Union is growing at a welcome rate, and in many ways is a model for others of its kind, reports agency.

This observation came Friday at a meeting between Foreign Adviser Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury and Secretary General of European Union Dr. Javier Solana at the EU Headquarter, according to a message received in Dhaka Saturday.

During the meeting, they discussed the total relationship between the European Union and Bangladesh covering trade, political and social issues.

Dr. Iftekhar Chowdhury stressed that “markets-access for Bangladeshi products to Europe and America is supremely critical for us. There are many impediments that must be removed, and we should be made to feel that performance is rewarded,” the foreign adviser said. He made special mention of the ready-made garments in this regard.

He explained to the secretary-general the post-Sidr programmes and sought additional EU cooperation in this regard. Other international topics of mutual interest such as climate change and global achievement of Millennium Development Goals also came up for discussions.

Dr. Solana lauded the recent initiatives of the government in Bangladesh contributing to domestic and regional and international stability. Dr. Solana told Dr. Chowdhury that the European Union supported the government, as well as its plans to hold free, fair, and credible elections by year-end. The EU leaders announced to the foreign adviser one additional allocation of 12 million Euro as ‘stabilization funds’ for Bangladesh.

The assistance is being processed. Later in the evening Dr. Iftekhar Chowdhury gave a lecture on the topic “Democracy in Bangladesh: A Way Forward,” at the Royal Belgian Institute of International Relations in Brussels.

The event was largely attended. It was followed by a reception in honour of the foreign Adviser, hosted by the director-general of the institute, Claude Mission.

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