Swiss Ambassador calls on agriculture minister

Ambassador of Switzerland to Bangladesh Nathalie Chuard paid a courtesy visit to Agriculture Minister Mohammad Abdur Razzaque at the office of the minister on Thursday.

The longstanding and expanding partnership between Bangladesh and Switzerland in a wide range of areas, including in the agricultural sector, was at the centre of their discussion along with Switzerland's support in many innovative projects in Bangladesh with strong agricultural links, reads a press release. 

Ambassador Chuard said that Switzerland commends Bangladesh's development journey, including the agricultural sector's achievements, despite the challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

She also highlighted that Switzerland has a solid focus on supporting inclusive development in the country. She saw the potential for more engagement of both public and private actors to work for the underprivileged women and men, also in the hard-to-reach areas.

Underpinning Bangladesh's vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters, Ambassador Chuard said that Switzerland would be keen to continue working with Bangladesh to increase farmers' socio-economic resilience against these extreme climatic risks and disaster exposures.

She also informed the minister about the substantial role the Swiss businesses play in Bangladesh's food and beverage value chains, which are vital in ensuring food security and safety.

Ambassador Chuard mentioned that our world faces unprecedented challenges. One crisis has collided with the next, with the pandemic and Russia's attack on Ukraine. Switzerland has condemned Russia's military aggression against Ukraine in the strongest possible terms. In view of this blatant violation of international law, especially international humanitarian law, Switzerland has decided to adopt the EU sanctions against Russia and thus strengthen their impact, the press release added.

As a development partner, Switzerland has been supporting various agricultural sectors in Bangladesh for a long time. Projects and interventions funded by Switzerland have benefited around 3.5 million farmers since 2004 and Switzerland is committed to working further with Bangladesh in the framework of its new Country Programme 2022-2025.