German Ambassador Rüdiger Lotz and Swedish Ambassador Nicolas Weeks separately called on Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir on Sunday, with both meetings centered on ways to deepen bilateral trade, investment and economic cooperation between their respective countries and Bangladesh.
The meetings, held at the minister's office, underscored Bangladesh's growing importance as a trade and investment destination for European partners.
Addressing both envoys, the minister noted that Europe remains a principal destination for Bangladeshi exports and that stronger bilateral trade cooperation could yield mutual benefits.
He acknowledged non-tariff barriers with EU member states, adding that the commerce ministry has already initiated discussions with relevant ministries to address these hurdles.
During his meeting with the German ambassador, Muktadir invited Germany to invest in Bangladesh's light engineering, textile and leather sectors, pointing out that the government has undertaken wide-ranging measures to foster a business-friendly environment.
He stressed that foreign investment is critical to generating employment for the nearly two to 2.2 million new entrants joining the country's workforce each year.
Ambassador Lotz expressed Germany's keen interest in strengthening commercial ties with Dhaka. He highlighted his country's willingness to work on market-oriented skill development and emerging market growth, while also calling for a level playing field for business and trade.
