Dhaka needs preparation to qualify for EU GSP plus

Bangladesh needs to take necessary preparation to qualify for the EU GSP plus scheme, a senior German diplomat has said.

Ambassador Erik Kurzweil, the Commissioner for Indo-Pacific, South Asia and Afghanistan of the German Federal Foreign Office, visited Dhaka on an official trip from October 23 to 24 to gauge the opportunities to intensify cooperation and exchanges with Bangladesh, a spokesperson of the German Embassy in Dhaka said on Thursday.

In a meeting with Ambassador Nazrul Islam, Additional Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh, both sides exchanged views on the situation in Bangladesh and the state of bilateral relations.

In this regard, Ambassador Kurzweil was especially happy that both sides reiterated their shared interest in signing the bilateral Climate and Development Partnership before the end of this year.

In further meetings with politicians, students and the civil society, the German diplomat was provided with vivid accounts of the fight against the old government as well as the aspirations for a new Bangladesh.

The Commissioner assured partners that Germany will continue to stand by their side and will look into opportunities to deepen exchanges on a sustainable transition.

Germany is the second biggest export market for Bangladesh with a heavy reliance on the RMG sector.

At a roundtable hosted by the Embassy, the Commissioner and representatives of German companies in Bangladesh stressed the importance of reforms and reassuring international business partners.

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