The non-resident ambassador of Finland to Bangladesh, Kimmo Lähdevirta, has expressed his government’s full support to the Dr Muhammad Yunus-led interim government and desire to contribute to the country's reforms.
The ambassador expressed his country's keenness when he called on Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus at his office on Sunday.
The meeting discussed the student-led mass revolution, the interim government's reform initiatives, trade, investment, and regional geopolitical issues.
Lähdevirta said the Finnish government will grant €1 million for Rohingyas in Bangladesh, and another €1 million will be channelled through civil society.
Yunus spoke about the student revolution, the work of the reform commissions and people's aspirations for his government.
He said the economy of Bangladesh was in shambles when the dictator fled the country, but quick and tough reform measures have already helped stabilize the situation.
"Reserves are growing," and the government has started making international payments without digging into the foreign currency reserves, he added.
He mentioned that he has made a move to revive Saarc to boost regional cooperation.
The ambassador informed Bangladesh that more Finnish businessmen are keen to visit Bangladesh with investment and called for faster processing of FDI by Bida.
A Finnish plastic recycling company is interested in recycling single-use plastics in Cox's Bazar to turn them into plastic sheets, which can be used in the shelters in the Rohingya camps.
The ambassador also shared the interest of the Finnish side in recruiting Bangladeshi students and the skilled workforce in their country and capacity building in the fields of AI, cyber security, and quantum computing sectors.
The Chief Adviser assured the Ambassador of all possible cooperation of the Bangladesh government in discharging his duties.