FE Report
The Netherlands government has expressed interest to explore the possibility of deepening bilateral cooperation with Bangladesh in the UN peacekeeping operations.
The Netherland's Foreign Minister Bert Koenders expressed it during a meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali in Hague on Friday.
He said Bangladeshi peacekeepers are serving outstandingly in extremely difficult situations.
He appreciated Bangladesh's efforts in combating terrorism and violent extremism, and containing recruitment of potential foreign terrorist fighters.
During the meeting, held on the sidelines of Global Conference on Cyber Space (GCCS) 2015, Mr Koenders also expressed keen interest in working together with Bangladesh on climate change adaptation and mitigation issues.
The two foreign ministers expressed satisfaction at the existing momentum of bilateral relations, and agreed on convening foreign office consultations between the two countries.
Mr Mahmood Ali invited the Netherlands to enhance their engagement in some of thrust sectors in Bangladesh, like - pharmaceuticals, ship-building and ICT.
The Dutch minister assured of considering the issues of increasing the number of scholarships and possible visa waiver for certain categories of people from Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh foreign minister also exchanged views with Dr Arvind Gupta, deputy national security advisor of India, about increasing bilateral cooperation in cyber security, including at operational level.
The two sides suggested addressing cyber security issue under the framework of regular security dialogues between the two countries.
Dr Gupta appreciated various measures being taken under the Digital Bangladesh initiative, as highlighted by the Bangladesh Foreign Minister at GCCS 2015.
smunima@yahoo.com
