Finance
Sheikh Hasina Prime Minister seeks GSP facility from EU after Bangladesh's transition from LDC
Dhaka, Oct 26: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called on the European Union (EU) to grant GSP+ facilities to Bangladesh to support its development after its transition from LDC in 2026.
She said in a statement at the signing ceremony of several agreements at the EU headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, "I hope that the European Union will grant GSP+ facilities to Bangladesh to support our development after Bangladesh's transition from LDC in 2026."
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and European Commission Chairperson Ursula von der Leyen witnessed the signing of several agreements, including a 350 million Euro financing agreement between the Government of Bangladesh and the European Investment Bank (EIB) at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels.
Sheikh Hasina said in the statement that Bangladesh has expressed deep concern over the war and wants to work together to establish global peace. She thanked the EU for providing humanitarian assistance to the 1.2 million Rohingya refugees temporarily sheltered in Bangladesh.
The Prime Minister said that the only solution to this crisis is the safe and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingyas to their homeland Myanmar.
She also said, "I call on the EU to quickly engage in a sustainable solution to this crisis."
Sheikh Hasina said, "This year Bangladesh-EU partnership has completed 50 years. We are happy that the EU is now Bangladesh's largest trading partner."
The Prime Minister recalled the formality of this system from his first term to 2000 and said that every scheme of the European Union except weapons has contributed greatly to the socio-economic development of Bangladesh.
The Prime Minister said, "We have reiterated our commitment to protect the rights of workers as well as their safety and regular migration."
Referring to the open exchange of views on Bangladesh-EU relations between them, Sheikh Hasina said, "We reiterated the common values of democracy, human rights and rule of law."
Following bilateral talks between the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and EC President Ursula von der Leyen, three loan and grant agreements between Bangladesh, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Commission (EC) have been signed here in Belgium to support Bangladesh's renewable energy sector. At this time, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, President of the European Commission and EIB President Werner Hoar witnessed the agreement signing ceremony.
