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Bangladesh and the European Union (EU) have agreed to continue engaging in constructive dialogue, aiming to conclude the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) negotiations by next year.
At the first round of negotiations on the PCA held at the EU headquarters in Brussels on Thursday, both sides discussed issues related to trade and investment, governance, climate action, digital transformation and connectivity.
The PCA aims to provide a "comprehensive and robust framework" for Bangladesh-EU relations to enhance cooperation in multifarious sectors while guiding future interactions in the face of new global realities and emerging challenges.
According to the EU, the PCA will give Bangladesh-EU relations a new legal foundation, which is more comprehensive and up-to-date and will respond better to current and evolving challenges.
Health, education, agriculture, migration, skills development, sustainable development, human rights, humanitarian action, terrorism, and peace and security issues were also discussed.
The two sides discussed various topics, outlining mutual interests and aspirations for a more engaging and meaningful partnership between Bangladesh and the EU.
The commencement of the first round underscores the commitment of both parties to elevate their partnership, aiming to position Bangladesh as the first South Asian nation to ink a PCA with the EU, reports UNB.
Md Nazrul Islam, Secretary (East) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs led the Bangladesh delegation to the first round of discussions as the chief negotiator, while the EU side was led by Paola Pampaloni, Deputy Managing Director of the EU's Asia and Pacific Division at the European External Action Service, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday.
Khandker Masudul Alam, Head of Mission of Bangladesh to the EU, also attended the event. Additionally, representatives from different ministries, divisions, and agencies of the Bangladesh government joined the discussion both in person and online.
The next round of talks is expected to take place in Dhaka at a mutually convenient time.
Bangladesh and the European Union (EU) held their first "political dialogue" in November 2022 in Dhaka, which marked a widening of cooperation between the two sides into strategic and thematic areas of mutual interest and a landmark Bangladesh-EU partnership, which completed 50 years in 2023.