The European Union (EU) is one of Bangladesh's most important trading partners and the government is keen to further expand trade relations with the EU, said Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir.
He said this during a meeting with European Union Ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller at the Commerce Minister's office at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
The meeting discussed bilateral trade, investment opportunities and removal of non-tariff barriers between Bangladesh and the European Union. In the meeting, both sides emphasized on making the trade environment easier, transparent and business-friendly.
The Commerce Minister said the government is working on policy and institutional reforms to increase exports, attract investment and facilitate business activities.
Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said the government is sincere in reducing non-tariff barriers, simplifying the import-export process and effectively solving the real problems of businessmen.
In addition, he said that the draft of the import policy order has been published on the website for comments.
The Commerce Minister further said that the government is working to increase the confidence of businessmen and increase Bangladesh's competitiveness in international trade.
He expressed hope that a realistic solution to the existing problems will be possible through constructive discussions and joint initiatives with the European Union.
In the meeting, Ambassador Michael Miller expressed his interest in further strengthening the trade cooperation between the European Union and Bangladesh.
He said, “The positive initiatives of the Bangladesh government in improving the business environment and removing existing barriers are commendable. However, he also commented that more in-depth work is needed to find sustainable solutions to some complex issues.”
He said that the European Union and the concerned businessmen are ready to cooperate in this regard through their experiences and opinions.
Additional secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Ayesha Akhter and senior officials of the ministry were present at the meeting.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
