Charles Whiteley, the new European Union (EU) Ambassador to Dhaka, praised Bangladesh’s development. Mentioning that he was the head of the EU’s political, economic, trade, press, and information department in Dhaka from 2005 to 2009, he said, “I am impressed with the development of present-day Bangladesh compared to the Bangladesh of that time.”
Ambassador Charles Whiteley paid a courtesy call on Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal at the Secretariat on Thursday (11 November). This was stated in a notification issued by the Ministry of Finance after the meeting. Mia Seppo, the departing UN Resident Coordinator, also met the Finance Minister today.
The statement said that Charles Whiteley assured that the EU would continue its support and cooperation with Bangladesh in various fields.
Charles Whiteley presented his credentials to President Md. Abdul Hamid as the EU Ambassador at a ceremony held at Bangabhaban on 5 October. Abdul. Before that, the EU Ambassador was Rensje Teerink.
The Finance Minister held discussions with Mia Seppo, the departing UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh, on various issues including economic progress, the economy during COVID-19, recovery, employment, development, empowerment, and achieving equality for women. Mia Seppo praised Bangladesh’s economic progress, women’s employment, and women’s empowerment, and hoped that the existing friendly relations between the United Nations and Bangladesh would be further strengthened in the future.
Referring to the continuation of the UN’s long-standing diplomatic relations with Bangladesh, Mia Seppo said her four-year tenure in Bangladesh would be a bright memory of her life. The United Nations is working for the advancement of women, empowerment of women, and their socio-economic development in Bangladesh. She said the United Nations would continue to support Bangladesh in achieving the eighth Five-Year Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Finance Minister said Bangladesh will be free from hunger and poverty by 2030. And the United Nations will continue to be a partner in achieving the desired goals on the path to progress. Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s lifelong dream was to build a prosperous golden Bangladesh free from poverty and exploitation. Following his vision, under the strong leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, economic growth has been achieved at an average rate of 7.4% in the last decade.
The Finance Minister further said that Bangladesh is still in the top five resilient economies according to the surveys of several international organizations even at a time when the global economy has shrunk by 3% during the COVID-19 pandemic last year. The Prime Minister has been awarded the SDG Progress Award in recognition of her development efforts at the recent United Nations General Assembly Conference on Sustainable Development 2021.
The Finance Minister called upon the EU to continue the ongoing trade priorities for Bangladesh despite its transition from a Least Developed Country (LDC) to a developing country. He said the EU is collectively the largest destination for Bangladesh’s export products. The EU is one of the most trusted partners in the development of the country. Their relationship with Bangladesh will grow in the coming days.
