Dhaka: The European Union (EU) has highly appreciated Bangladesh’s role in maintaining global peace and security as one of the highest troops and police contributing countries for the UN peacekeeping operations.

Both sides agreed to intensify collaboration on matters of regional and global interests such as connectivity, migration, terrorism.

These issues came up for discussion at the second diplomatic consultations between Bangladesh and the EU held in Brussels recently.

Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service (EEAS) Gunnar Wiegand led the EU delegation, while the Bangladeshi delegation was led by Foreign Secretary Md. Shahidul Haque, said a foreign ministry press release on Saturday.

Both sides recognised that adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has provided them with a unique opportunity to build new partnerships and vowed to work closely together for implementation of different Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

They also agreed to organise a Workshop on “Partnership on Inequalities and Global Governance for Sustainable Development” in Dhaka soon.

Both parties agreed to continue working on this common agenda with a view to reaching concrete progress and deliverables.

The agenda included political developments on both sides viz. EU Global Strategy 2016, trade and investment - including Everything But Arms (EBA) - and other issues of bilateral importance.

The next round of consultations will be held in 2018 in Dhaka.

Earlier on February 14, Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque met with Secretary General of EEAS Helga Schmid, top Diplomat of the EU Diplomatic Service after the EU High Representative on Foreign and Security Policy and Vice President Federica Mogherini of the European Commission at its HQs in Brussels.

Welcoming the second diplomatic consultations in Brussels, Secretary General Schmid expressed happiness at the cordial relations between EU and Bangladesh.

She highly appreciated Bangladesh for its sustained high economic growth,  impressive social development.

She apprised the Foreign Secretary on EU Global Strategy 2016, including post-Brexit developments in Europe.

Foreign Secretary Haque thanked the EU for being a consistent partner in Bangladesh’s journey to development and prosperity since independence.

He also appreciated the ongoing comprehensive engagements between Bangladesh and the EU on bilateral, regional and global issues of common interests like climate change, terrorism, migration, and sustainable development.