Bangladesh and the European Union will sit today (Wednesday) for the seventh Joint Commission meeting in Dhaka to review current relations and find ways to expand trade ties with the EU countries.
Additional Commerce Secretary for Free Trade Agreement (FTA) wing and Deputy Chief of the EU South and South East Asia unit will lead the Bangladesh and EU sides respectively at the meeting to be held at the state guest house Padma from 9:30am.
The two-day regular meeting will basically focus on improving the trade relations between Bangladesh and EU countries, identifying trade barriers and steps needed for removing those, said a senior official at the Commerce Ministry. EU Ambassador in Bangladesh Pierre Mayaudon will also be on the EU side comprising 14 members.
A trade sub-group of the EU-Bangladesh Joint Commission was formed and the fifth meeting of the group was held in 2011 in Dhaka but it failed to minimise mutual trade gap. "This is a regular meeting, however, we will discuss issues like progress in sustainability compact, shipping services and investment-environment apart from regional and sub regional issues," a senior official at the Economic Relations Division told the Daily Observer.