Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde has appreciated Bangladesh’s “remarkable development journey” over the last five decades and expressed her country’s willingness to strengthen the bilateral relations. “We look forward to further strengthening our bilateral relations and tackling global challenges together,” she said in a message reflecting on the joint journey that has been and what is to come. As the two countries and their relationship have evolved, the Swedish Minister said, they are glad to see a partnership that is “stable, dynamic and growing”. Read: Austria keen to boost econonic relations with Bangladesh, says its chancellor On February 4, 1972, Sweden and other Nordic countries recognised Bangladesh as a sovereign and independent state. The two countries are celebrating the 50 years of their friendship between the two countries and its people. Terming this year a special year for the relations between Sweden and Bangladesh, Minister Linde said as a long standing partner of Bangladesh, they have followed a remarkable development journey that Bangladesh has gone through over the last five decades.