Baku (Azerbaijan), Nov 18: Minister for Forests and Environment Ain Bahadur Shahi and Bangladesh’s Minister for Forests, Environment and Climate Change, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, held a meeting here at the COP29 venue today.
During the meeting, discussions were held on various aspects of mutual interest and cooperation between Nepal and Bangladesh, including in collaboration on tackling climate change issues, Under-Secretary at the Ministry, Deepa Oli said.
Minister Shahi shared during the meeting that collaboration between Nepal and Bangladesh on the topic of climate change carried much importance as the two countries have many similarities on this issue.
He also expressed gratitude to his Bangladeshi counterpart for her crucial role and leadership for the success of the energy trade agreement between Nepal and Bangladesh. Pursuant to this agreement, Nepal formally started export of 40MW electricity to Bangladesh beginning 16 November 2024.
“This collaboration would be even more significant in the context of both Nepal and Bangladesh’s graduation from the least developed country status,” Minister Shahi said.
On the occasion, Bangladesh’s Minister for Forests, Environment and Climate Change Hasan said that Bangladesh and Nepal have strong relations and collaboration ever since the establishment of diplomatic ties between them and hoped that this will be expanded in the coming days as well.
Nepal and Bangladesh established diplomatic relations immediately after the latter’s independence in 1971.
The 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) is under way in Baku, Azerbaijan since November 11 and the two ministers are here in this connection. The COP29 will wrap up on November 22.
