Ambassadors of the Embassy of Denmark, the Royal Norwegian Embassy, and the Embassy of Sweden on Wednesday met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury to commemorate 50 years of bilateral relations between the Nordic countries and Bangladesh.
The meeting took place on the 23rd of March at Ganabhaban, when “Nordic Day” is celebrated globally. The Nordic countries were among the first to recognize Bangladesh, on the 4th of February 1972.
The meetings highlighted both the long history and steadfast friendship between the countries, as well as the partnership going forward. During the meetings, the Ambassadors emphasized the importance the Nordic countries attach to sustainability, gender equality, and human rights. They also discussed the importance ofa participatory democracy and the role of free and fair electionsfor the development of Bangladesh.
The Nordic countries and Bangladeshshare a commitment to multilateralism, achievingthe Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agendaandtacklingglobal challenges such as climate change. The discussions includedtoppriorities such as freedom of expression and women’s empowerment. The Nordic Ambassadors also raised their deep concern about the worsening humanitarian situation in Ukraine, caused by Russia’s aggression.
The Nordics have been steadfast supportersof Bangladesh since independence. Initially, the support was primarily through humanitarian aid.The engagement then moved into development cooperation, that has created a long-lasting impact and helped foster strong and sustainable economic growth in Bangladesh.Recent years have seen an increasing focus on expanding trade and business relations. The scope for increased commercial interaction between the Nordic countries and Bangladesh was underlined during the meetings, as well as the added value of the Nordic companies in areas such as sustainability, the green transition, smart cities, urbanization, and digitalization. During the meetings, the strong bilateral relationship between each respective Nordic country and Bangladesh were reaffirmed.
