EU envoy-Momen discuss observer mission for general polls

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Jehangir Hussain

European Union wants to deploy an Election Observation mission in Bangladesh before the next general election.

"To discuss the issue, EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley had a meeting with Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen," a senior Foreign Ministry official said on Monday.

According to him they discussed the proposed deployment of an EU Election Observation mission in Bangladesh ahead of the next general election.

"They had a "good exchange" on expanding Bangladesh-EU relations - including through opportunities under the EU’s Global Gateway initiative," he said.

They also discussed  issues of mutual interest, said the official.

They expressed satisfaction over 50 years of partnership between Bangladesh and the European Union and they agreed to work together to   further strengthen  Bangladesh-EU ties.

The position of the Foreign Ministry and the EU’s position on Indo-Pacific is largely similar, the foreign Ministry said.

Momen said, Bangladesh believes in a free, open, inclusive, peaceful, secure and rules-based Indo-Pacific region for shared prosperity of all.

He stressed that economic development is Bangladesh’s top priority and urged the EU to invest more infrastructure in Bangladesh, particularly in green transport, renewable energy, and climate change adaptation sectors.

The EU Ambassador spoke about the growing interest of the European Investment Bank in investing in renewable energy and transport sectors in Bangladesh. He said that there was scope and interest of  the EU to invest in Bangladesh through its ‘Global Gateway’ initiative.

Momen expressed Bangladesh’s concerns over the situation in Ukraine, particularly the loss of civilian lives, and consequential socio-economic fallout on the world. He reiterated Bangladesh’s calls for the cessation of hostilities and urged the EU to play a more pragmatic role in this regard.

Momen  reiterated that the government wants free, fair and credible general elections. He informed the Ambassador about the steps taken to empower the Election Commission to hold  free and fair election. He welcomed observers from the EU and other countries during the election.

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