Both sides interested in signing partnership agreement

Bangladesh and the European Union have shown interest to sign a partnership cooperation agreement (PCA) to elevate their ties to the next level before celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations. The issues to be covered in the agreement are connectivity, defence, facing climate change threats and ensuring cybersecurity. Human rights will be the basis of the structure of this new legal framework.

Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam and Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Enrique Mora conveyed the two sides’ willingness regarding such a mechanism. They were talking to media after the first ever political dialogue between the two sides in Dhaka Thursday.

Enrique Mora said, “We are reconsidering our relations with Bangladesh for two reasons. One is Bangladesh’s spectacular growth and achievements. We are interested to help in various sectors for this. We also have important interest in the Indo-Pacific region. Our objectives and strategy is to take an important position there. We want to increase partnership with the countries of this region to achieve that goal.”

According to Mora it has become essential to change the current framework of mutual assistance as Bangladesh is advancing so fast that many different issues outside of the framework are entering into discussion. As a result, this partnership agreement is the structure of elevating to the next step. It is possible to ensure all types of cooperation within this legal framework, he added.

Speaking to media, Shahriar Alam said the relation has to be taken to the next step and to the level of partnership. For this an agreement has to be signed. I can’t say when the partnership agreement could be signed. But we want to do it in the context of celebrations of 50 years of diplomatic relations.

The state minister for foreign affairs said, “We have agreed that we would work on a partnership cooperation agreement. This has a process of discussion. Taking consideration into Bangladesh’s gradually increasing capacity, growth and relation with the European Union, there is scope to further deepen and enlarge the relation between the two sides.”

Shahriar Alam and Enrique Mora had detailed discussion on defence cooperation. Issues like food safety, cyber security and trans-border crimes were discussed.

The state minister for foreign affairs informed the media that the discussion was held on food, peace, maritime safety and enlarging trade cooperation to face the current and future risks that Bangladesh and other countries are going to face.

Indo-Pacific region is an extremely important region to the EU. The European Union wants to work with Bangladesh to protect the interests of both the sides in the Indo-Pacific region.

Mora said Bangladesh will gradually move ahead and will become an influential player among the countries of this region. European Union will try to be the biggest partner of Bangladesh in this.

Shahriar Alam said there is a huge scope of enhancing trade in this region. For this, there has to scope of unhindered movement in this region.

Since the attack of Russia on Ukraine on 24 February, all he countries have been living in a different time and different world. Partnership is very important among the countries that believe in the principles of the United Nations now.

Enrique Mora said, “Bangladesh has cast its vote on the resolution regarding Russia-Ukraine war at the UN considering its interests. EU respects Bangladesh’s foreign policy on this conflict. Bangladesh has taken the decision considering its national interests and we can’t reject that. What we can do is discuss that policy. But in no way we would ask another country to take a different position. We wholeheartedly respect the decision of Bangladesh.”