Home ›› 14 Aug 2021 ›› Governance
Canadian minister of international development Karina Gould has concluded her three-day virtual visit to Bangladesh with an announcement to strengthen partnerships in various fields between the two nations.
“This was my first visit to Bangladesh and, although it was virtual, I was impressed by their (local people) resilience, and the remarkable progress taking place in Bangladesh,” she said while wrapping up her visit, a Canadian High Commission press release said here Friday.
She said Canada is committed to continuing to tackle all the challenges including to support the needs of Rohingyas and people living in extreme poverty here together with Bangladesh.
“This is why it was important for me, as Minister of International Development, to undertake this virtual visit at this particularly difficult moment marked by challenges ranging from public health, to the economy, climate change, and the continued Rohingya crisis,” she said.
During the visit, Gould announced contributions to two important projects in Bangladesh - joined BRAC’s Strategic Partnership Arrangement for the next five years with a contribution of $45 million and provided $2 million in additional Canadian funding to UNICEF for the ‘Strengthening Quality Education in Cox’s Bazar.
The Canadian minister met with partners from civil society, NGOs and international organizations to discuss their work in Bangladesh, and Canada’s continued support for Rohingyas, impacted host communities, and COVID-19 response.
Minister Gould held a meeting with Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen where during which she extended her congratulations for Bangladesh’s anticipated graduation from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group and expressed Canada’s appreciation for Bangladesh’s inclusion of the most vulnerable Rohingya for the COVAX vaccination campaign.
The two ministers spoke about their shared interest in holding accountable those responsible for acts perpetrated against the Rohingyas.
They also shared their priorities related to the pandemic response and climate change, said the release.
On August 12, her visit concluded with a live event held in Mohakhali’s Bhashantek Slum where Canada is supporting critical COVID19 prevention activities and skills training for the urban poor.
