Minister of State at the German Federal Foreign Office Niels Annen on Thursday held ‘political talks’ with Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali at the State Guesthouse Padma in Dhaka city.
Among the topics of foreign and regional affairs under discussion, there was a particular focus on the Rohingya crisis, an official said.
Prior to his arrival in Dhaka on Wednesday afternoon, Minister of State Annen said, “On my first official trip to Dhaka, we will be talking about the response to the Rohingya crisis, for which Bangladesh deserves our respect and to which Germany is also providing important assistance.”
He said he will also use his discussions with unions and textile buyers to call for sustainable and humane working conditions in the local textile industry.
The Minister of State, now on a three-day visit, will meet members of the political opposition and hold talks with representatives of the civil society.
“His intention is to hear about current developments in the human rights situation in Bangladesh,” reads the German Foreign Ministry statement.
Germany is providing humanitarian assistance and stabilisation projects to support Bangladesh, where more than a million Rohingyas has fled from Myanmar.
Annen will therefore also meet representatives of international aid organisations and the German Red Cross, it said, UNB reported.
Germany has been one of the most important consumers of clothing made in Bangladesh for some years, and it is calling for humane standards of occupational health and safety and other labour rights for the millions, most of them women, who work in the sector.
Before arriving in Dhaka, the German Minister visited New Delhi and held talks on various issues with Indian leaders.