Bangladesh, European Union sign initial Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in Brussels

Bangladesh and the European Union (EU) have signed an initial Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), marking a definitive step toward a structured roadmap for collaboration in trade, investment, and governance.

The signing took place at the EU headquarters in Brussels on Monday, the foreign ministry said.

The ministry’s Secretary (East and West) Md Nazrul Islam signed the agreement on behalf of Bangladesh, while Paola Pampaloni, deputy managing director (Asia and Pacific), signed for the EU.

Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Foreign Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister Humaiun Kobir, and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas were present.

Officials said Bangladesh is set to become the first South Asian country to enter into such an agreement with the European bloc.

An official said after the initial signing, the agreement will be translated into the languages of EU member states before the final signing.

Following five rounds of negotiations, Bangladesh and the EU finalised the PCA draft in January this year.

At the time, the foreign ministry said the PCA would serve as the legal and political foundation for a strategic and long-term Bangladesh-EU relationship once signed.

 “Bangladesh and the European Union will help strengthen relations between Bangladesh and the EU in many policy areas, from human rights and governance to trade, investment, environmental sustainability and climate change as well as food security, energy, transport and science, technology and innovation.”

On the day of the signing, Khalil also held a separate meeting with Kallas.

According to a foreign ministry media statement, their discussions covered a wide range of areas, including political, economic, and development cooperation, with a focus on trade and investment, the Indo-Pacific partnership, migration, skills development, labour standards, and the Rohingya crisis.

Both sides highlighted Bangladesh’s post-LDC transition, the importance of preferential market access, and the launch of negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and Investment Protection Agreement (IPA).