The Hon’ble Foreign Adviser, Mr. Md. Touhid Hossain, met with H.E. Ms. Hadja Lahbib, the visiting EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness, and Crisis Management, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this afternoon.
The Commissioner expressed strong support of the EU to the Interim Government of Bangladesh and its reform initiatives saying that – it’s a pivotal moment in the history of Bangladesh which needs new partnership, new cooperation. She shared her first-hand experience of visiting Rohingya Camps in Cox’s Bazar yesterday and lauded the generosity of Bangladesh in hosting the forcibly displaced Rohingyas. The EU will provide 68M Euro this year for the Rohingyas and the host community in Cox’s Bazar – the Commissioner declared with further assurance of imposing political and economic pressure on Myanmar. She appreciated the Bangladesh initiative in organizing the High-level Conference on Rohingyas, to be held in New York in October 2025.
According to the Honorable Foreign Advisor, Bangladesh and the EU have a close relationship. In addition to expressing gratitude for the Commissioner’s visit to Bangladesh, he conveyed his profound concern about Myanmar’s current political situation and its potential effects on the Rohingya issue and regional security. The adviser urged the international community to take action in order to realize that the return of the Rohingyas to Myanmar is the ultimate answer.
Both parties recognized the necessity of stepping up cooperation in disaster management and preparedness in a sustainable way by exchanging knowledge and information after exchanging experiences with uncommon natural disasters in Bangladesh and Europe. The Honorable Foreign Advisor expressed gratitude for the EU’s help and emphasized Bangladesh’s proficiency in disaster relief, and asked for more financial and technical cooperation from the EU to advance the situation.
Commissioner Lahbib previously visited the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar and paid a visit to the Honorable Chief Adviser. Tonight, she will leave Dhaka.
