Bangladesh and Finland held the fourth round of Bilateral Consultations on 08 April 2025 in Dhaka. Ambassador Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam, Secretary (East), Ministry of Foreign Affairs led the Bangladesh delegation while the Finnish delegation was led by Jarno Syrjälä, Under-Secretary of State for International Trade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.
During the Consultations, the two sides agreed to explore opportunities to facilitate business partnerships and encourage Finnish enterprises to invest in Bangladesh, particularly in sectors such as clean energy, green tech, innovation and digital services, e-commerce and textiles.
Both sides further committed to strengthening collaboration on addressing climate change, with a focus on renewable energy solutions, resource efficiency, sustainable agriculture and technology transfer. The Finnish side expressed interest in enhancing cooperation in the areas of waste management, waste to energy, water treatment and circular economy.
The two parties also agreed to promote mutual understanding through cultural exchanges, academic collaborations, skills development and people-to-people connections.
The Bangladesh side requested the Finnish side to recruit more skilled and semi-skilled workforces from Bangladesh and arrange more stipends for Bangladeshi students to pursue higher studies in Finland, while addressing the existing visa-related issues.
Bangladesh also sought Finland’s support for ensuring early repatriation of displaced Rohingyas from Bangladesh to Myanmar.
Additionally, both sides discussed key regional and global developments and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation on various multilateral issues.
The two parties agreed to hold the next round of Bilateral Consultations at a mutually convenient time.
A 9-member Finnish business delegation, including representatives from the leading Finnish business entities, is also accompanying the visiting Under-Secretary. Among other engagements, they are scheduled to attend the Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025.
Earlier, Under-Secretary Syrjälä was warmly received at the airport by Md. Abul Hasan Mridha, Director General (West Europe and EU) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He will leave Dhaka on 10 April 2025 after completing his 3-day official tour.