The new non-resident Ambassador of Finland to Bangladesh Mr. Kimmo LÄHDEVIRTA paid a maiden courtesy call to Foreign Secretary (Senior Secretary) Ambassador Masud Bin.
The Foreign Secretary congratulated the Finnish Ambassador for his new assignment and assured him of full support of the Bangladesh Government in discharging his duties. He fondly recalled the official visit of the Hon’ble Prime Minister to Helsinki in 2019 and her fruitful meeting with the then-President of Finland. The Foreign Secretary welcomed the upcoming round of Bangladesh-Finland Political Consultations in October 2024 and expressed his optimism that the consultations would help consolidate and expand areas of cooperation between the two countries. He also thanked the Finnish Government for humanitarian support towards the Rohingyas, however, stressed the need for impactful political actions towards resolution of the crisis.
The Finnish Ambassador thanked the Foreign Secretary for warmly receiving him with assurance of all-out support. He informed me about the visit of a business delegation as well as the upcoming Political Consultations to expand business opportunities between Bangladesh and Finland. The Ambassador underscored the Finnish expertise in green transition and renewable energy, IT, and forestry, among others. He referred to the EU’s Global Gateway initiative and Bangladesh’s possible engagements.
The two sides also exchanged views on visas for Bangladeshi students, and cooperation in trade, culture, culinary, and tourism.