Online Desk:  Bangladesh and Switzerland have agreed to further enhance bilateral trade and Swiss direct investment in Bangladesh.

At the 5th political consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh and the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) of Switzerland held in Bern on Wednesday, the Swiss side particularly expressed interest for investment in the knowledge and innovation sector.

Additional Foreign Secretary (Bilateral-East and West) Ambassador Dr Md Nazrul Islam and Ambassador Heinrich Schellenberg, Head of the Asia Pacific Division of FDFA led the respective sides.

During the consultations, the entire gamut of bilateral relations between the two friendly countries was discussed in a cordial manner.

Discussion on bilateral issues encompassed trade and investment, development cooperation in particular in knowledge and skills enhancement and SMEs development, cooperation in ICT and cyber security as well as mutual legal assistance, and humanitarian aid for the forcibly displaced Rohingyas, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.

Several multilateral issues of mutual interest such as overview of the UN system, UN Security Council, human rights, sustainable development, and climate change were also discussed.

Both Bangladesh and Switzerland also exchanged their views on regional developments in South Asia and Europe, and global affairs.