President M Abdul Hamid has sought enhanced German investment at the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and High-Tech Parks in Bangladesh as he held a courtesy meeting with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Bellevue Palace in Berlin this afternoon (Berlin time).
President Hamid also urged all international partners including Germany to effectively engage with the Myanmar authorities to find a durable solution of the Rohingya repatriation issue.
The Bangladesh President, who is now in Berlin as part of his 12-day medical checkup in Germany and the UK, called upon the German government to facilitate visas for Bangladeshi students, willing to pursue their higher studies in Germany, a Bangabhaban spokesman quoted President's press secretary Md Joynal Abedin as saying the BSS over phone on Thursday.
The President thanked Germany for its support to the ongoing Rohingya crisis and acknowledging its (Germany) decision to suspend the development cooperation for Myanmar and raising the issue in the United Nations.
"We thank Germany for support in principle on the partial and temporary relocation of the Rohingyas to Bhashan Char, for which our government has now concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UNHCR for the latter to commence operations there," Abdul Hamid mentioned.
Referring to existing bilateral ties with Germany, the President said Germany and Bangladesh has excellent trade and business relations which is growing day by day.
Seeking enhanced investment to Dhaka, he said, "I believe that the experience of leading German companies, like Siemens (power, telecommunications) and VERIDOS (e-passports) would be good examples for other German enterprises."
The President also thanked the Germany as it set up the Bangabandhu Professorial Fellowship in Heidelberg University, Germany in recent time.
Terming Germany as a long trusted development partner of Bangladesh, he said the government acknowledges the development cooperation and assistance provided to Bangladesh every year since country's independence.
"We appreciate Germany's recent donation of nearly 800,000 dozes of AstraZeneca vaccine to Bangladesh and other medical equipment worth about 30 million Euros," Bangladesh President told his German counterpart during the meeting.
Bangladesh and Germany share excellent bilateral relations and we look forward to celebrating the 50th anniversary of a diplomatic relations in a befitting manner next year, President Hamid said.
He recalled gratefully that the erstwhile East Germany was the first European country to have recognized an independent Bangladesh in early January 1972 and West Germany recognized Bangladesh in February 1972.
The head of the state thanked the German President for giving his thoughtful message on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh's Independence and the Birth Centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in March 2021, where he, in the message, appreciated Bangladesh calling as "Vibrant Democracy".
Acknowledging the bold decisions taken by Germany and the European Union to combat the adverse impacts of climate change, President Hamid hoped that Germany's new legal measures on climate action and environmental protection would show some flexibility for trade with developing countries like Bangladesh.
Noting that Bangladesh and Germany should work together on people-to-people contacts, he said Bangladesh is now the most stable country in the Indo-Pacific region as it maintains a policy of 'zero tolerance' towards all forms of terrorism and violent extremism.
Besides, Bangladesh economy is growing fast now and we have graduated to be a developing country from the category of Least Developing Countries (LDCs), the President added.
Expressing satisfaction over Germany's bilateral trade with Bangladesh, the German President emphasized on visit-exchanges between the two countries at the public-private levels to increase trade ties.
Appreciating Bangladesh's initiative in controlling the Corona epidemic, the German President said that his country would continue its cooperation in this regard.
During the meeting, they discussed various issues including international politics also.
Earlier, President Hamid signed a visitors' book there.
President's Office Secretary Sampad Barua, Military Secretary Major General SM Salah Uddin Islam, President's son Russell Ahmed Tuhin and Bangladesh Ambassador to Germany Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan were present during the meeting.