In a bid to secure continued preferential access to the European market post its graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category, Bangladesh has sought Italy's political and technical support. This request came during the third Bangladesh-Italy Political Consultations held in Rome, where both nations reviewed the full spectrum of their cooperation and identified new areas for engagement. Bangladesh emphasized the importance of continued access to the European market through instruments such as a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and an Investment Protection Agreement (IPA) for sustaining the country's socio-economic development.
The Bangladesh delegation, led by Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, highlighted the necessity of an early review of the automatic safeguard threshold for textile and ready-made garment (RMG) exports under the European Union's new Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) regulation. Bangladesh also requested Italy's support at the United Nations General Assembly for the deferment of its graduation from the LDC category.
On the economic front, the consultations focused on enhancing bilateral trade, promoting investment and joint ventures, and exploring new opportunities for sustainable economic cooperation. Bangladesh thanked Italy for its support during the country's democratic transition and reform initiatives and reaffirmed its commitment to advancing cooperation in line with its development priorities.
Migration and skills development were prominent in the discussions. Bangladesh appreciated Italy for hosting a large Bangladeshi community and urged Rome to operationalise the Talent Partnership by creating greater opportunities for the legal mobility of Bangladeshi workers. Dhaka also highlighted its ongoing efforts to curb irregular migration and called for expanded legal migration pathways under the 2025 Bangladesh-Italy Memorandum of Understanding on Migration and Mobility.
The two countries also discussed expanding cooperation in culture, education, defence, technology, agriculture, energy, infrastructure, climate change and food security. Exchanging views on regional and global developments, Bangladesh sought stronger political and humanitarian support from Italy for achieving a durable solution to the protracted Rohingya crisis. The two sides agreed to hold the next round of Bangladesh-Italy Political Consultations in Dhaka next year on a mutually convenient date.
