United News of Bangladesh

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus began his extensive engagements here on Tuesday with his first meeting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz who conveyed to Dr Yunus that Germany would do its best to support Bangladesh in its transition to democracy. "You can be rest assured that we will support you," the German Chancellor said when he met Dr Yunus on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in the Swiss city. The Chief Adviser briefed him on the reform agenda of the interim government and discussed issues of mutual interest. Dr Yunus invited more German investment in Bangladesh. "We can be your factory," he said. He also sought Scholz's support in creating a safe zone for Rohingyas in Myanmar's Rakhine State under the supervision of the United Nations, said Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder. Beijing extends loan repayment period, considers Dhaka's request for interest rate cut The Chief Adviser said he was leading a consensus commission in an effort to facilitate consensus building among the political parties on major reform reports submitted by six commissions. He said after the consensus is reached, the political parties will sign a ‘July Charter’ that will uphold the democratic spirits of the student-led uprising in July and August. The two leaders spoke about a wide range of issues, including the circumstances that led to the July uprising, Bangladesh's relationship with its neighbours, the Rohingya crisis, and the security situation in Myanmar. The Chief Adviser explained to the German chancellor how young people joined the July uprising to bring an end to years of misrule in Bangladesh. A student as young as 12 years old wrote a letter to his mother before joining the uprising and embraced martyrdom, the Chief Adviser told Scholz. Prof Yunus called for greater business links between the two nations and urged him to send a team of German businessmen to Dhaka to explore business opportunities in Bangladesh. He said that Bangladesh still holds the idea of SAARC and would continue its endeavour to revive the platform. The Chief Adviser also explained to the German Chancellor how hydroelectric power from Nepal can benefit multiple South Asian countries, helping all in their transition to renewable energy. Malaysia extends repatriation programme for undocumented Bangladeshis The Chief Adviser also met Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum and discussed issues of mutual interest. Dr Yunus arrived at Zurich International Airport, Switzerland in the afternoon to attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos where he started engaging with the global leaders on pressing issues in addition to his bilateral meetings. Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN in Geneva Ambassador Tareq Md Ariful Islam received the Chief Adviser at the airport upon his arrival. Dhaka, Beijing discuss economic partnership expansion The Chief Adviser and his delegation members arrived at the Zurich International Airport at 12:27pm (Zurich time) by an Emirates flight. The Chief Adviser is scheduled to hold a number of meetings on the first day, including his joining in the opening dinner at Kurpark Village.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says Germany is committing 100 billion euros ($112.7 billion) to a special fund for its armed forces, raising its defense spending above 2% of its GDP. Also read: NATO leaders meet to reassure allies near Russia, Ukraine Scholz told a special session of the Bundestag in Berlin on Sunday that it was clear “we need to invest significantly more in the security of our country, in order to protect our freedom and our democracy.” Germany had come under criticism for not investing adequately in its defense budget and not doing enough to respond to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Also read: Biden hits Russia with sanctions, shifts troops to Germany On Saturday evening, the German government announced it would be sending weapons and other supplies directly to Ukraine to help troops against invading Russia forces.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that Europe is “on thin ice” in its battle against the coronavirus, as the highly contagious delta variant threatens to undo progress made in reducing infections. In what may be her last government declaration to the German parliament, Merkel said the further response to the pandemic would be a main topic of discussion among European Union leaders at a meeting in Brussels on Thursday. She noted that the number of COVID-19 cases in the 27-nation bloc continue to decline, while vaccination rates climb. “But even though there is reason to be hopeful, the pandemic isn’t over, in particular in the world’s poor countries,” she said. “But in Germany and Europe we’re also still moving on thin ice.” “We need to remain vigilant,” Merkel added. “In particular the newly arising variants, especially now the delta variant, are a warning for us to continue to be careful.” EU health officials predicted Wednesday that the delta variant will make up 90% of all cases across the bloc by the end of August, showing the need for as many people to be fully vaccinated as possible. In Germany, the delta variant now makes up about 15% of new cases, according to the country’s disease control agency. The country has pressed for EU countries to form a joint position on quarantine for travelers from areas where variants of concern are particularly prevalent. This includes England, where the delta variant — first detected in India — already makes up a majority of cases.

Beijing, Sept 6 (AP/UNB) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel has arrived in Beijing, where she faces the challenge of balancing human rights concerns and economic discussions with one of Germany's largest trading partners.