Bangladesh, EU Seal Text of Comprehensive Partnership Pact

Bangladesh and the European Union have finalised the text of a Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) after the fifth round of negotiations held on January 7–8 in Dhaka and Sylhet.

With the conclusion of the talks, Bangladesh is poised to become the first South Asian country to sign such a wide-ranging agreement with the EU.

According to an official statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the latest round of negotiations ended successfully, with both sides agreeing on the final wording of the framework accord.

The Bangladesh delegation was led by Secretary (Bilateral) Dr Md Nazrul Islam, while the EU side was headed by Paola Pampaloni, acting managing director for Asia-Pacific at the European External Action Service. The negotiations were attended by the EU Ambassador to Bangladesh, senior EU officials, and representatives from relevant Bangladeshi ministries and departments, both in person and virtually.

Negotiations on the proposed PCA began with an explanatory meeting in Dhaka in November 2024. Since then, five formal rounds of talks and several technical-level meetings have been held in Dhaka and Brussels, in both physical and online formats.

The fifth round focused on a broad range of priority areas, including legal and judicial cooperation, intellectual property rights, energy cooperation, fisheries and aquaculture, ocean governance, trade and investment, human rights, and customs cooperation.

Officials described the discussions as constructive, noting that the agreement aims to be comprehensive, balanced and mutually beneficial, while reflecting the evolving priorities of Bangladesh–EU relations and addressing emerging global challenges.

Once signed, the PCA will provide the legal and political framework for a strategic and long-term partnership, strengthening cooperation between Bangladesh and the European Union across multiple policy domains.