The European Union (EU) has said Bangladesh is a ‘key partner’ for the European Union in the Bay of Bengal and wider Indo-Pacific.

The Council of the European Union (EU) underlined that the EU and the Indo-Pacific face increasingly complex security challenges.

The Council of the EU considers that the EU should continue and further intensify its strategic focus, presence, visibility and actions in the Indo-Pacific with the aim of contributing to their joint stability, security, prosperity and sustainable development, underpinned by the promotion of democracy, the rule of law, human rights and international law.

The EU will reinforce its role as a reliable actor bringing added value to long-standing relations with all partners in the region.

This is especially relevant as the EU has a geographic presence in the Indo-Pacific through its outermost regions and overseas countries and territories.

The Council underlined its commitment to a closely coordinated political presence of the EU and Member States in the region.

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Building on three successful EU-Indo Pacific Ministerial Fora (Paris 2022, Stockholm 2023 and Brussels 2024), the Council said it looks forward to the Fourth EU-Indo Pacific Ministerial Forum, to be convened by the High Representative in Brussels on November 20-21 November, a senior official told UNB.

Those EU-Indo Pacific Ministerial Fora constitute a unique platform for strategically interacting with audiences in both regions.

They reflect the strong and shared interest of the EU and the Indo-Pacific partners in fostering concrete cooperation, including on a region-to-region basis, enhancing mutual security, prosperity and resilience and laying the foundations for an ever-more ambitious partnership.

The EU Embassy in Dhaka has shared their latest policy document – newly issued by 27 Member states at the EU Foreign Affairs Council – which underlines how the European Union and Indo-Pacific are inter-linked and working in partnership on green and digital transition, trade and economic security, and security and defence.

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On October 20, the Council of the EU approved conclusions on the implementation of the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific stressing that the EU should further intensify its strategic focus, presence, visibility and actions in the Indo-Pacific with the aim of contributing to our joint stability, security, prosperity and sustainable development, underpinned by the promotion of democracy, rule of law, human rights and international law.

The EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, which was launched in September 2021, continues to provide a sound framework for EU engagement in a region spanning from the east coast of Africa to the Pacific islands.

Important steps have been taken to implement the strategy in the seven key priority areas, both at the EU and member state level, with a particular focus on three core areas of engagement: security and defence challenges, the green and digital transition, and trade and economic security.

The Council also reiterated its serious concerns about the current situation in both Afghanistan and Myanmar, and its unwavering commitment to achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East on the basis of the two-State solution.

EU-Indo Pacific Ministerial Fora constitutes a unique platform for strategically interacting with audiences in both regions, according to the EU.

They reflect the strong and shared interest of the EU and the Indo-Pacific partners in fostering concrete cooperation, including on a region-to-region basis, enhancing mutual security, prosperity and resilience and laying the foundations for an ever more ambitious partnership.