Greece regularises 10,000 Bangladeshis
Greece has regularised some 10,000 Bangladeshis and is likely to do more.
This was communicated during a bilateral meeting between Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud and Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis on the sideline of the 9th Our Ocean Conference in Athens yesterday.
According to foreign ministry officials, there are around 25,000 Bangladeshis in Greece.
Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud thanked the Greek government for legalising the Bangladeshi nationals who were living in Greece under a MOU on Migration and Mobility, a foreign ministry statement said.
He requested the Greek Minister to regularise the rest and recruit more Bangladeshis to the European country.
The Greek foreign minister said Greece plans to hire Bangladeshi professionals in sectors like agriculture, tourism, hospitality, and construction in the near future.
The ministers pledged to strengthen cooperation between their countries in various fields such as migration, trade, investment, shipping, workforce recruitment, and the development of renewable energy infrastructure.
The Greek Foreign Minister promised to prioritise opening a diplomatic mission in Dhaka and accepted an invitation from Hasan Mahmud to visit Dhaka and inaugurate the mission.
Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud asked George Gerapetritis to promote the import of high-quality Bangladeshi products by Greek businesses and to help facilitate exports from Bangladesh.
George Gerapetritis acknowledged the necessity to boost untapped bilateral trade and emphasised the importance of devising an appropriate strategy to foster its growth alongside investment.
The two ministers also agreed that meaningful cooperation between the two countries in the shipping sector can create a win-win situation as they complement each other. They also agreed on building a legal framework in this regard.
"Greece has vast experience in shipbuilding, recycling and other areas of the blue economy. We are seeking more cooperation with Greece in these areas," a foreign ministry official told The Daily Star.
Later, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud held a discussion on issues of bilateral importance and mutual interest with Spanish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenges Maria Jesus Montero.
Both sides agreed to establish cooperation in the areas of climate change, water management, food and agriculture cooperation, green energy, environmental sectors and issues of mutual interest.