Bangladesh greets Germany on National Day

Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali has greeted Germans on their National Day on Monday when West and East Germany were reunified in 1990.

Speaking at a reception hosted by Ambassador Thomas Prinz in Dhaka, Ali said this day is “a source of inspiration for peace loving people around the world”.

He conveyed “sincere greetings and warmest felicitations” of Bangladesh.

Mahmood Ali said Bangladesh and Germany have “historic relations, rooted in shared values of democracy and development cooperation as well as trade and investment.”

Germany is the second largest destination for Bangladesh exports, mostly garments, worldwide.

German multinationals are already engaged in the development of critical infrastructure in Bangladesh, particularly in climate change, power and energy sectors and renewable energy.

“As new opportunities arise, both at national and regional level, enhanced cooperation andcollaboration between Bangladesh and German companies further strengthen our relations,” the foreign minister said.

He particularly noted the emerging ‘Partnership for Sustainable Development’ focusing on areas like technology, SME development, green industrial manufacturing and global governance.

Bangladesh and Germany, as consecutive chairs of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), are working jointly to chart a common roadmap for the upcoming GFMD Summit to be held in December in Dhaka.

Germany will take over as Chair from Bangladesh.

The foreign minister said he would visit Germany this week to hold official consultations with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin to strengthen relations.

The German ambassador appreciated Bangladeshi students who are contributing in the research, engineering and ICT, and also finding their niche in the German job market.