MM Rahmatullah: Bangladesh and Germany have reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations, with greater emphasis on trade and investment, education, renewable energy, climate action and migration and mobility.

The commitment came during a meeting between German Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr Rüdiger Lotz and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka on Wednesday.

During the courtesy call, Ambassador Lotz congratulated Humaiun Kobir on his recent assumption of office and expressed confidence that the two countries would further deepen their longstanding partnership.

The State Minister appreciated Germany’s continued engagement with Bangladesh, particularly its development cooperation, and expressed Bangladesh’s interest in expanding bilateral collaboration across a number of areas.

The discussions covered trade and investment, education, skills development, renewable energy, climate action, culture, migration and mobility, as well as a broad range of regional and global issues of mutual interest.

The two sides also discussed ways to broaden the Bangladesh-European Union partnership and reaffirmed their commitment to working together in relevant international forums.

Ambassador Lotz reaffirmed Germany’s interest in deepening bilateral cooperation, highlighting several areas of particular importance to Berlin.

He stressed the need for the early conclusion of a Bangladesh-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which could provide a stronger framework for expanding commercial ties between Bangladesh and the European market.

The German envoy also underscored the importance of enhanced cooperation in the aviation sector, alongside greater opportunities for trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges.

During the meeting, Ambassador Lotz referred to Bangladesh’s post-election stability and said German companies were showing growing interest in the country’s investment-friendly climate.

The observation comes as Bangladesh seeks to attract more foreign investment and diversify its economic partnerships, while Germany remains an important European partner in trade, development cooperation and other areas.

Both sides agreed that continued high-level engagement would help create new opportunities for bilateral cooperation and give fresh momentum to the Bangladesh-Germany relationship.

The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere, with the two countries expressing confidence in further advancing their longstanding partnership through expanded economic cooperation, stronger institutional links and increased exchanges between their peoples.