Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury held separate meetings with Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen and Development Cooperation Minister Bert Koenders of the Netherlands in the Dutch capital yesterday.
Iftekhar told the Dutch foreign minister that Bangladesh saw the Netherlands as a “dependable development partner”.
Verhagen praised Bangladesh's role as a “constructive international actor” and also for its contribution to UN reforms and peacekeeping.
He assured support to Bangladesh's on-going electoral process and preparations leading to the elections.
Iftekhar stressed the need for the presence of a European Union Observer Mission during the forthcoming elections in Bangladesh.
He thanked the Netherlands for the “market-access benefits” and urged that the import-basket from Bangladesh be widened beyond ready-made garments to include newer items like small and medium-sized ships, a new manufacturing industry in Bangladesh.
They agreed to work together on issues of common interest such as climate change, which was critical to both countries.
In his talks with Verhagen, it was agreed that the European Union in general and the Netherlands in particular considered bilateral relations with Bangladesh as “strategic”, and based on “shared values”.
While meeting with the Bert, Iftekhar underscored the importance of channeling Dutch assistance through government.
In recent times, this has been done largely through multilateral agencies and NGOs.
They identified new areas of possible cooperation including modernisation of Bangladesh's irrigation system, development of potato varieties with improved seed production and marketing, livestock and dairy industry, food processing and agro-business development, and intensified cooperation in higher studies in agriculture and rural development.
Bangladesh Ambassador to the Netherlands Mizanur Rahman, Foreign Ministry Director General M Zulfiqur Rahman and the Dutch envoy to Bangladesh Bea Ten Tusscher were present at the meetings.
Earlier, Iftekhar held talks with the Aga Khan during a brief visit to Paris.
Speaking to media later, he said, “We discussed some follow-up action regarding his recent visit to Bangladesh including the programmes and initiatives that were begun there, and a permanent presence of the Aga Khan Development Network in Bangladesh.”
He added, “I also raised the subject of possible micro-credit support to minimise the cost of contractual labour migration, which was a new subject and in which he showed keen interest.”