Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt on Monday met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the former’s two-day visit to Bangladesh, to commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
In the meeting, Huitfeldt emphasized Norway’s steadfast support for Bangladesh and the Norway-Bangladesh partnership to foster long-term economic stability and sustainable development, said a press release.
The discussions included top priorities like climate change, sustainability and key elements of human rights, such as gender equality, the importance of a participatory democracy and the role of free and fair elections.
Views were also exchanged on the deeply worrying situation in Ukraine.
The Norwegian foreign minister thanked the people and the government of Bangladesh for their continued generosity in hosting more than 900,000 Rohingya since August 2017 and stressed the need for a global response to achieve a more permanent solution.
Huitfeldt highlighted the close but flexible relationship between Norway and Bangladesh, which has developed in line with the country’s own development over the decades.
She also stressed the desire to develop stronger economic ties between the two countries through trade and investment.
Norway was among the earliest to recognize independent Bangladesh, on February 4, 1972, said the press release.