Dhaka – Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs Kristian Jensen has approved a five-year programme for Denmark’s development partnership with Bangladesh, unb news agency reported.
The programme is aligned to the Bangladeshi government’s 7th Five Year Plan that sets out the course for the country’s journey towards middle income status.In connection with the approval, Danish Ambassador in Dhaka Hanne Fugl Eskjær said in order to meet the targets of the government’s five-year plan by 2021 and the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, inclusive, pro-poor and sustainable development be important elements.
“I believe that the Danish five-year programme in Bangladesh can make a difference in this respect,” she said.
The new five-year programme will take effect by the end of 2016.
The Danish Embassy will now initiate discussions with the Finance Ministry to conclude a government-to-government agreement.
Denmark was one of the first countries to recognise Bangladesh after the Liberation War in 1971.
A lot has happened since then and through a strong partnership, the two countries have achieved many concrete results, Danish Embassy in Dhaka said in a statement on Sunday.
However, the country is still facing a range of challenges, it said.
Poverty alleviation, climate change and governance and rights will be the main areas for the Danish development efforts in Bangladesh for the next five years.
The efforts are part of a collective endeavour that involves the government of Bangladesh, development partners, civil society and the private sector.
By supporting efforts of social mobilisation and empowerment, Denmark is confident that the programme will make a real difference for the Bangladeshi people.
Bangladesh has made remarkable progress on social and economic indicators in the past decades.
The Danish efforts have created results across the whole country.
Income and food security for three million farmers, where almost half are women, have been improved.
Access to local markets and cyclone shelters has been improved for millions through improvement of rural infrastructure.
