The Ambassador of Switzerland to Bangladesh said that he “feels very safe now”, particularly after the stringent security measures taken by the government following the terrorist attack in Gulshan on July 1 of last year.
Outgoing Ambassador of Switzerland, Christian Martin Fotsch, made the remarks while recalling his joining (February 4, 2014) as ambassador to Dhaka in the midst of the post-election political turbulence, while paying a courtesy call on Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali at the state guest house Padma Saturday evening.
Ambassador Fotsch expressed his gratitude to the foreign minister's team for their cordial cooperation during his stay in Dhaka.
He also thanked Foreign Minister Ali for the exchange of letters with his Swiss counterpart, commemorating the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in March, a press release said.
Minister Ali said that security for diplomats and foreign nationals were enhanced, and assured that the government remained vigilant to prevent future instances of similar incidents.
He also expressed his satisfaction at the successful visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Davos, Switzerland in January 2017 to attend the World Economic Forum.
While briefing the Bangladeshi foreign minister about the highlights of his tenure, Ambassador Fotsch expressed satisfaction that their countries “[did] not have much issue” between them.
The ambassador further briefed Foreign Minister Ali about sustained growth in bilateral trade (16% in 2016) and investment.
He confirmed that the Spain-based Swiss company, Stadler Rail Valencia SAU, was awarded a bid to supply Bangladesh Railway with 70 locomotives to further improve its services.
The ambassador observed that SMEs and IT were two key areas that deserved more attention for growth in bilateral economic relations.
The foreign minister congratulated the outgoing ambassador for the successful completion of his tenure in Dhaka and wished him success on his next assignment in Luxembourg.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
