Bangladesh and the Netherlands today reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations through enhanced cooperation and sustained high-level engagement across a wide range of sectors.

The commitment was reiterated when Ambassador of the Netherlands to Bangladesh Joris van Bommel paid a courtesy call on State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam at the foreign ministry here, said a foreign ministry’s press release here. 

Dominique Kuhling, Director for Asia and Oceania at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who is visiting Bangladesh from June 8-10, also attended the meeting.

During the meeting, the state minister appreciated the Netherlands’ longstanding support for Bangladesh’s development journey, particularly in the areas of democratic transition, trade and investment, sustainability in the industrial sector, agriculture and water management.

The two sides held extensive discussions on political and economic developments, Bangladesh’s graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category, the proposed Bangladesh-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA), migration cooperation, human capital development, women’s empowerment, semiconductor technology, and education, sports and people-to-people exchanges.

They also exchanged views on regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest.

Both sides underscored the importance of further strengthening the longstanding partnership between the two countries through closer cooperation in bilateral and multilateral forums.

Shama thanked the Netherlands for its continued support to the Rohingyas and host communities in Bangladesh and stressed the need for ensuring the safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable repatriation of the displaced Rohingyas to Myanmar.

Earlier in the day, the visiting Dutch delegation met Secretary (East, West) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Md Nazrul Islam and discussed ways to advance Bangladesh-Netherlands cooperation in areas of mutual interest.