Hasina in Germany
October 26, 2011
After meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina urged Europe to continue its efforts to help her country and other nations threatened by climate change despite its own financial difficulties.
She said European countries "should consider that our country and our people are going to suffer so they should be more generous."
Merkel responded by promising Bangladesh, which is particularly under threat because of rising sea levels caused by climate change, support in the area of renewable energies and education. She also reminded Hasina that better education would help eradicate child labor in future, warning the prime minister to maintain social standards. Germany is the second-biggest aid donor to Bangladesh.
Boosting flood protection
Germany's development aid ministry announced on Tuesday it was pledging 11 million euros (15 million US dollars) to help boost Bangladesh's flood defenses.
Sheikh Hasina described her visit to Germany as a "milestone in the already excellent relationship relations between our two countries." She said these could be built upon and added that Bangladesh's infrastructure needed to be developed further.
Merkel accepted the Bangladeshi prime minister's invitation to Bangladesh. German President Christian Wulff is also due to visit next month.
Bangladesh, whose economy has grown at an average rate of 6.5 percent per year since 1996, is an important partner for German business. In 2010, it became the third largest exporter of readymade clothes to Europe and Germany is its second-largest export market.
Author: Manasi Gopalakrishnan (dpa, AP)
Editor: Anne Thomas