The European Union (EU) has commended Bangladesh’s leadership of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) and the V20 Climate Vulnerables Finance Summit. The EU invited Bangladesh to consider a Green Partnership with the EU as both sides will discuss it in detail at the climate dialogue in Dhaka in early 2022. Bangladesh praised the EU’s commitments towards climate action and the EU provided further information regarding its proposed Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. The EU and Bangladesh met for their fourth Diplomatic Consultations in Brussels recently and discussed the issues. Bangladesh delegation was led by Foreign Secretary (Senior Secretary) Masud Bin Momen while the EU delegation was led by the European External Action Service Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific Gunnar Wiegand. The discussion covered a range of topics and priorities in the field of climate change adaptation and mitigation, with the EU signaling, inter alia, interest to support renewable energy, notably regional hydropower generation, and energy connectivity. Both sides underscored the importance of updated Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement and the need for mobilizing adequate funding for mitigation as well as adaptation, according to the joint press statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here on Wednesday. Fair Prices Sought The EU appreciated Bangladesh for its continuing success as the by far largest beneficiary of the EU’s Everything But Arms (EBA) unilateral preferential trade scheme. The EU welcomed the finalisation and publication by Bangladesh of its National Action Plan on the Labour Sector and stressed the need for its comprehensive implementation as per the stipulated timelines. Bangladesh reiterated the need for ensuring fair prices, especially in view of the investments being made in safer and greener factories. The EU reiterated its appreciation for the generous role and action of the people and Government of Bangladesh for continuing to temporarily host a million forcibly displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar for more than four years. The Bangladesh side thanked the EU for its political and humanitarian support in the aftermath of the crisis.

The United Kingdom (UK) has recognized Bangladesh’s role as a "critical stability provider" in the region, and its particular relevance in the context of the UK’s integrated foreign, trade, development and security policy review with focus on the Indo-Pacific.  Bangladesh and the UK agreed to remain engaged on a durable solution to the Rohingya crisis, together with relevant regional and international actors. The two countries discussed the bilateral, regional and global issues at the 4th Strategic Dialogue held in London on Thursday.  Both delegations exchanged views on the evolving situation in Afghanistan. Read: FM reiterates call for removing Bangladesh from UK's Covid red list Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen led the Bangladesh delegation at the talks while his British counterpart Sir Philip Barton, Permanent Under-Secretary of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) led the UK side. The Bangladesh Foreign Secretary urged the UK to review the current travel restrictions on Bangladesh as a matter of priority, considering the steady improvement in the Covid-19 infection and vaccination rates.  The two sides agreed to further scale up cooperation in genome sequencing of the testing samples through relevant Bangladesh agencies. Bangladesh and the United Kingdom reaffirmed their historic and multidimensional ties at the 4th Strategic Dialogue. “Bangladesh at 50 and the UK post-Brexit have the opportunity to further energize our bilateral relations in line with our efforts at resetting our foreign policy pursuit towards deeper strategic engagement with key international partners”, said Masud Momen.  Barton underlined the importance of the two democracies engaging with each other on a range of bilateral, regional and global issues.  The two sides recalled the founding of the bilateral relations during Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s visit to London on January 8, 1972 on his way to the newly independent Bangladesh, when he was received by the British Prime Minister Edward Heath.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md. Shahab Uddin MP is leading the Bangladesh delegation at the two-day "COP26 July Ministerial" that began on Sunday in the United Kingdom (UK). Shahab Uddin is expected to highlight Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s priorities at the COP26 as a state party to the UNFCCC and also as the President of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF). Read:COP26: Young people urged to raise voice to save planet The UK-hosted July Ministerial is aimed to give an opportunity for the Environment Ministers of the state parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to come together in person to discuss their expectations for a successful COP26 scheduled in Glasgow this year from 1-12 November.  Shahab Uddin reached London on Saturday afternoon on an official visit to the United Kingdom (UK).  Read: Dhaka, London hopeful of signing climate accord before COP26 Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem received the Minister at the London Heathrow International airport. Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Director General, Department of Environment are accompanying the Minister during his visit to attend the COP26 July Ministerial organized by the United Kingdom. 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said Bangladesh expects the UK to promote the interests and priorities of climate vulnerable countries to international platforms. She said this when COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma met her at her official residence Ganobhaban. PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting. Read: COP26: Alok Sharma discusses climate issues with FM He said they discussed various issues like the climate change situation, its global adverse impacts, mitigation and Climate Change Fund and Covid-19 pandemic. Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is going to be the worst affected like some other countries across the globe due to the climate change even though the carbon emission of these countries are very negligible. “We’ll be affected massively,” she said. Hasina said the government has taken various programmes to increase the renewable energy use in mitigating the demand for power. She said there are currently some 5.8 million solar power connections in Bangladesh. The Prime Minister said her government and the Awami League as a party are engaged in massive tree plantation to improve the environment of the country. Read:Alok Sharma in city to discuss climate issues ahead of COP26 Talking about the Covid-19 pandemic and vaccination, the Prime Minister said the government has adopted various measures to run the economy apart from containing the coronavirus infection although Bangladesh is a densely populated country.    

Bangladesh has taken over the presidency of Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) and the Vulnerable Twenty (V20) Group of Ministers of Finance for the term 2020-2022 from Marshal Island and urge all to attach highest priority to CVF and V20.