DHAKA, Nov.13 (V7N) – Bangladesh has asked Eswatini to step up imports of sustainable and affordable Bangladeshi garment products, underscoring Dhaka’s growing focus on environmentally responsible manufacturing and circularity in the apparel sector.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam made the request during a bilateral meeting with Eswatini Prime Minister Russell Dlamini at the Bangladesh Pavilion in the Blue Zone of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, on Thursday.
The two leaders discussed ways to expand bilateral trade, investment, climate cooperation and people-to-people ties, a foreign ministry press release issued in Dhaka today said.
At the meeting, the state minister highlighted Bangladesh’s efforts to promote sustainability and circular practices in the readymade garment industry, presenting Bangladeshi apparel as an affordable and environmentally responsible option for international buyers.
She also stressed the potential of jute, Bangladesh’s golden fibre, as a renewable and biodegradable substitute for plastic products. Praising Eswatini’s ban on single-use plastic bags, Shama Obaed suggested that Bangladeshi jute and jute-based goods could offer eco-friendly alternatives. She invited the Eswatini prime minister to visit Bangladesh’s jute pavilion in the COP31 Green Zone to see the variety and commercial prospects of jute products.
The state minister set out Bangladesh’s climate priorities, including keeping global temperature rise within 1.5 degrees Celsius, securing predictable and accessible grant-based climate finance, strengthening adaptation and advancing a just energy transition. She noted Bangladesh’s target of generating 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and 30 percent by 2040.
Prime Minister Dlamini appreciated Bangladesh’s contribution to international climate negotiations and said the two countries shared similar priorities in tackling climate challenges. Both sides discussed strengthening cooperation between COP31 in Antalya and COP32, due to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Healthcare cooperation also featured prominently. Dlamini highlighted Eswatini’s healthcare needs, while the state minister expressed Bangladesh’s readiness to support the African nation through its pharmaceutical industry, which exports affordable, quality-assured medicines to more than 150 countries.
The two sides reaffirmed their longstanding friendly relations as Commonwealth members and partners in the Global South, agreeing to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment and multilateral forums. Shama Obaed also sought Eswatini’s continued support for the early repatriation of forcibly displaced Rohingyas to their homeland in Myanmar.
Eswatini’s Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Jane Mkhonta-Simelane and Special Assistant to the Bangladesh Prime Minister Dr Saimum Parvez attended the meeting.
At the end of the discussion, the state minister presented Dlamini with a jacket made from Bangladeshi jute fabric. The Eswatini prime minister appreciated the gift and Bangladesh’s efforts to promote environmentally sustainable jute products.
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