Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Sunday urged Austria to explore alternative measures to facilitate visas for Bangladeshi students and consider establishing a resident mission in Dhaka.
Touhid highlighted that Bangladeshi students aspiring to pursue higher studies in Austria face visa-related challenges due to the absence of an Austrian resident mission in Bangladesh.
The issue was discussed during a meeting between the non-resident Austrian ambassador to Bangladesh, Katharina Weiser, and the foreign affairs adviser at the foreign ministry, according to a ministry press release.
In response, Weiser acknowledged the concerns and assured that Austria would explore workable solutions under directives from Vienna.
During the meeting, the foreign affairs adviser provided an overview of the interim government’s ongoing efforts to reform Bangladesh’s socio-political and economic structures, aimed at establishing a resilient democratic framework.
He emphasized that these initiatives require a reasonable timeframe for successful implementation and noted that reports from the reform commissions are expected to be released in January 2025.
Touhid also highlighted Bangladesh’s preparations for its graduation from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) category and its efforts to qualify for the EU GSP+ preferential trade scheme.
The two sides discussed developing clean energy technologies and implementing climate change adaptation measures.
“The developed countries must fulfil their commitments to provide the necessary funds for adaptation and mitigation, alongside their pledges,” Touhid said.
Weiser agreed, emphasizing that the economic viability of green and climate-friendly technologies is crucial for achieving sustainable solutions.
The Austrian envoy reiterated Austria’s commitment to exploring expanded bilateral economic engagements with Bangladesh in the future.
