Shawdesh Desk:

The European Union has expressed their willingness to strengthen partnership with Bangladesh in the coming days.

European commissioner for international partnerships Jutta Urpilainen and European commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic expressed this during their meetings with foreign minister Hasan Mahmud in Brussels on Friday evening, on the sidelines of 3rd EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum.

During the meetings, the two European commissioners expressed interest in working together with Bangladesh on various issues through increasing EU cooperation and strengthening partnership, said a foreign ministry press release on Saturday.

The foreign minister also held a number of bilateral meetings on the day with foreign minister of the Netherlands Hanke Bruins Slot, Austrian foreign minister Alexander Schallenberg, foreign minister of Hungary Péter Szijjártó, foreign minister of Portugal Joao Gomes Cravinho and Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.

During the bilateral meetings, the ministers discussed matters of mutual interest including increasing trade and investment.

Hasan requested for increased international pressure on Myanmar for repatriation of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas with full rights.

He also had fruitful exchanges with EU high representative for foreign affairs Josep Borrell Fontelles, vice-prime minister and minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel and foreign minister of Slovenia Tanja Fajon.