The first round of negotiations on the new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between Bangladesh and the European Union (EU) is being delayed as the plan for its initiation in September this year has been postponed. The EU has shown the current situation as a reason behind the postponement. It was scheduled to be held in Dhaka. “The first round of negotiations on the new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) foreseen in September has been postponed due to the prevailing situation,” EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley told UNB, quoting a message he received from Brussels. The envoy also said a new date for starting the negotiations has not been fixed yet.    Read more: It was like a terrorist attack to topple the govt: PM Hasina tells Indian envoy on quota violence. Bangladesh is willing to do it in November as the 79th session of the UN General Assembly opens on September 10, 2024, said a diplomatic source. A Partnership and Cooperation (PCA) agreement is a legally binding agreement between the EU and third countries. By means of a PCA, the EU works to support the democratic and economic development of a country. A PCA is typically entered into for ten years, after which they are automatically extended each year provided no objections are raised. Recently, Ambassador Whiteley said they are eyeing a “step change” in their relations with Bangladesh in the next five years, deepening the ties in core areas. “I think in the next five years we would be really seeing a step change in our relationship,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after his meeting with Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud in January this year. The EU ambassador said the relationship between Bangladesh and the EU will be driven by the new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA). Read more: China encouraged by resumption of social order in Bangladesh.

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud will attend the 3rd EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum which will be held in Brussels, Belgium on February 2. “We will have a number of meetings on the sidelines of the Forum,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday. The foreign minister is scheduled to leave Dhaka for Brussels on Wednesday night and will get two and half days for his engagements in Brussels. Bangladesh, Russia discuss ways to strengthen trade, investment ties He said will have meetings with his counterparts from a number of countries on the sidelines including a Deputy Prime Minister. “Let’s see how many meetings we can accommodate,” said the foreign minister, recalling that he had 17 bilateral meetings within two days on the sidelines of the NAM Summit held in Uganda recently. The foreign minister will return to Dhaka Sunday evening. High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell will chair the forum. Russian Ambassador dismisses claims made by BNP’s Gayeshwar The EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum will bring together the EU and its Member States with countries from the East coast of Africa in the West to the Pacific islands in the East. The EU and Indo-Pacific partners will discuss how to address the increasing number of complex economic, environmental, geopolitical, and security challenges that affect both regions. It will include an opening plenary session, three roundtable discussions and a closing session. The Brussels Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum builds on the success of the previous two EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forums held in Paris in February 2022 and in Stockholm in May 2023. It will provide a platform for dialogue, for shaping a collective vision for the region’s future and for identifying practical ways to enhance cooperation and deepen solidarity. Europe and the Indo-Pacific are highly interconnected and interdependent, that is why the EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum serves as a crucial platform for fostering dialogue and cooperation between Europe and the Indo-Pacific. What the US State Department said regarding those arrested in Bangladesh The Indo-Pacific region is of key strategic importance, both in economic and geopolitical terms. The 2021 EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific sets out how the EU is stepping up collaboration with Indo-Pacific partners to contribute to the region’s stability, security and prosperity. It is clear that close cooperation is the key to addressing these challenges effectively, achieving sustainable economic growth, and strengthening resilience to shocks and disruptions, according to the European Union. The digital economy, in particular, holds the potential for significant innovation and growth, it said.

The new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with the European Union (EU) can be “something very broad” to discuss future Bangladesh-EU relations, said a senior official at the EU headquarters ahead of the 3rd EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum. Talking to UNB virtually, he mentioned joint launching of negotiations on a new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on October 25 last year in Brussels to expand and develop the multi-dimensional relationship between Bangladesh and the EU. PCA is a legally binding agreement and it is one of three special types of international agreements. By means of a PCA, the EU works to support the democratic and economic development of a country. EU eyes a "step change" in relations with Bangladesh in next 5 years: Charles Whiteley A PCA is typically entered into for ten years, after which they are automatically extended each year provided no objections are raised. The third EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum will be held in Brussels on February 2 and it will be chaired by the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell. Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud is scheduled to attend the forum who is also likely to have a number of meetings on the sidelines of the forum. It will include an opening plenary session, three roundtable discussions and a closing session. The Brussels Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum builds on the success of the previous two EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forums held in Paris in February 2022 and in Stockholm in May 2023. It will provide a platform for dialogue, for shaping a collective vision for the region’s future and for identifying practical ways to enhance cooperation and deepen solidarity. Europe and the Indo-Pacific are highly interconnected and interdependent, that is why the EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum serves as a crucial platform for fostering dialogue and cooperation between Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Asked whether the EU’s strategy for cooperation with the Indo-Pacific countries will concentrate on the security or economic dimensions, the EU senior official referred to the seven pillars of EU’s Indo-Pacific strategy. The seven priority areas for the EU action are sustainable and inclusive prosperity; green transition; ocean governance; digital governance and partnerships; connectivity; security and defence; and human security. He said Bangladesh is a massive country in terms of population and it has a very impressive economic growth. Commending the EU as Bangladesh’s largest export market, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud recently requested for EU’s Everything But Arms (EBA) trade concessions until 2032 to support Bangladesh’s smooth graduation from the LDC status as well as EU’s import of diversified products from Bangladesh including jute and jute goods along with traditional products like apparels and shrimps. The Indo-Pacific region is of key strategic importance, both in economic and geopolitical terms. The 2021 EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific sets out how the EU is stepping up collaboration with Indo-Pacific partners to contribute to the region’s stability, security and prosperity. The EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum will bring together the EU and its Member States with countries from the East coast of Africa in the West to the Pacific islands in the East. The EU and Indo-Pacific partners will discuss how to address the increasing number of complex economic, environmental, geopolitical, and security challenges that affect both regions. Climate change and environmental degradation are existential threats for all. It is clear that close cooperation is key to addressing these challenges effectively, achieving sustainable economic growth, and strengthening resilience to shocks and disruptions. The digital economy, in particular, holds the potential for significant innovation and growth. EU-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting The 24th EU-ASEAN Ministerial meeting also takes place in Brussels on February 2. The meeting will be co-chaired by EU High Representative Josep Borrell and the Philippines’ Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo. It will review the implementation of decisions adopted at the EU-ASEAN Commemorative Summit held one year ago in December 2022 and agree on future steps in developing the EU-ASEAN Strategic Partnership. During last year's EU-ASEAN Commemorative Summit, the EU pledged to mobilize EUR 10 billion for connectivity projects in ASEAN under the Global Gateway initiative. To emphasise the centrality of ASEAN in the EU Indo-Pacific Strategy, ASEAN Foreign Ministers have also been invited to participate in the EU’s 3rd Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum, to be held on the same day. EU allocates €300,000 in humanitarian aid to gutted Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camps

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was remembered for his courage and leadership by international scholars at a virtual event. The Embassy of Bangladesh in Belgium capital Brussels and the Mission to the European Union organised the virtual event marking National Mourning Day and the 46th martyrdom anniversary of Bangabandhu on Sunday. A documentary, 'Bangabandhu Forever in Our Hearts', was also screened, detailing the life and achievements of Bangabandhu. Read:Bangabandhu, his family had been targets of 7 plots well before independence: Gowher Rizvi Dr Richard Cash, global health researcher and senior lecturer in international health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health recalled his experiences of living and working in Bangladesh in the 1960s.

The Embassy of Bangladesh in Brussels has virtually celebrated the Bangla New Year 1428 in advance with the participation of more than eight thousand Bengali and foreign guests from Europe and different corners of the world. Singer Nobonita Chowdhury performed songs from different regions and genres of the country in the event held on Monday, said the Embassy of Bangladesh in Brussels on Tuesday. She rendered songs including Rabindra, Nazrul and Lalon Sangeet, songs of Hasan Raja, Vijay Sarkar, and Bhawaiya, which showcased the richness of Bengali songs to the world. There was a narration in English by the singer on the theme and background of each song for foreign guests.

The European Commission has presented its vision of the Digital Green Certificate which is meant to serve as proof of inoculation against COVID-19 and is expected to be introduced by mid-June.

The 7th edition of the Salon du Chocolat, a fair reuniting over a hundred chocolate makers, pastry chefs, confectioners, and cocoa producers, opened here Thursday in the Belgian capital.

The European Commission has lowered its predictions for economic growth in Italy, but economists and analysts said near-term prospects for economic growth were mostly unchanged.