Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Dr Hasan Mahmud has urged Switzerland to follow suit of the European Union (EU) in extending duty-free and Duty-Free Quota-Free (DFQF) trade preferences until 2029.
According to local media, the Minister additionally urged Swiss investors to invest in Bangladesh’s IT and agro-processing industries.
Reto Renggli, the Swiss ambassador to Bangladesh, met with the foreign minister on Monday at his office. He commended Bangladesh for its remarkable progress in value chain development since the 1970s and pointed out areas of the supply chain where Switzerland could contribute.
The ambassador of Switzerland and the foreign minister exchanged opinions about wars and conflicts around the world, such as those in the Red Sea, Gaza, and Ukraine, and how they hurt the economies of those two nations.
The Swiss ambassador praised the spectacular socio-economic development of Bangladesh over the last decade.
The envoy described ties between Bangladesh and Switzerland as “solid,” citing the visits of the Swiss President to Bangladesh in 2018 and the Prime Minister to Switzerland in 2023.
He expressed hope for signing bilateral Air Services Agreement in March and holding the next Foreign Office Consultations in April to advance bilateral relations further.
Switzerland is a steady partner of Bangladesh in promoting key values – good business practices, multilateral cooperation and a vibrant civil society.
