EU to start negotiations on Partnership Cooperation Agreement very soon: Charles Whiteley

The European Union (EU) will start negotiations with Bangladesh on the Partnership Cooperation Agreement very soon, Ambassador Charles Whiteley said today.

"We had a discussion over how we take forward the EU-Bangladesh relationship. We are going to start negotiations to initiate a new Partnership Cooperation Agreement very soon. It would be a new generation agreement involving wide-ranging issues," he told reporters after the first meeting with Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday at his office in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.                           

Charles, head of the EU delegation to Bangladesh, also said, "We look to take forward EU-Bangladesh relations with the prime minister."

After this morning's meeting with Hasan Mahmud, US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas said he looks forward to working closely with Bangladesh in the coming months on issues of mutual importance.

He mentioned climate, expanding business opportunities, and other areas of cooperation to advance the relations.

"I look forward to working very closely in the coming months to advance our mutual interest," he told reporters.

He said it was an opportunity to talk about the future of the US-Bangladesh relationship.

Later, the foreign minister met EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley.