Bangladesh and Germany on Thursday signed the financial and technical agreements on development cooperation between the two countries.

Following the fruitful negotiations of the two governments on May 13-14 this year, the available amount up to EUR 180.807 million (approx. Tk 2265 crore) has been captured in these agreements with up to EUR 45.8 million for technical cooperation and up to EUR 135 million for financial cooperation.

Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky, Secretary, Economic Relations Division (ERD), Ministry of Finance of Bangladesh and Achim Tröster, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Bangladesh, signed the agreement on behalf of the two governments.

The signing ceremony was attended by officials from the government of Bangladesh, the German Embassy in Dhaka, the German Development Bank KfW, the German technical cooperation agencies GIZ and BGR.

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The cooperation under these agreements will take place in the areas of renewable energy and energy efficiency (up to EUR 50.5 million), sustainable urban development (up to eur 95.5 million), technical and vocational education and training (up to EUR 5.0 million), socially and environmentally sound supply chains, trade and infrastructure (EUR 12 million), protection of biodiversity (up to EUR 6.0 million) and for a project on combating domestic violence against women and children (up to EUR 7.0 million).

Germany has been providing financial and technical assistance for the development of Bangladesh since 1972, which amounts today to a total of over 3.5 billion EUR.

Bangladesh-German development cooperation has a long-standing history in supporting infrastructure, health, poverty alleviation, good governance and human rights, energy efficiency and renewable energy, climate change adaptation, said the German Embassy in Dhaka.

The present agreement marks the continuation of successful bilateral cooperation that contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals, it said.

“We are glad to continue our support for the Bangladeshi success story,” German Ambassador Achim Tröster said.

Bangladesh and Germany have embarked on a journey of cooperation that spans various sectors, from economic development and trade to education, health, and beyond, said the ERD Secretary.

At its core, this partnership is rooted in the shared values of democracy, inclusivity, and sustainable development, said Siddiky in his opening remarks.

He also mentioned that one of the hallmarks of Bangladesh-Germany bilateral cooperation is the commitment to fostering economic growth and prosperity.

The ERD Secretary thanked the German government for their ongoing support to Bangladesh.

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