Staff Reporter :
Austria has expressed a keen interest in recruiting skilled workers from Bangladesh and has also offered to invest in green energy initiatives, particularly in the wind and waste-to-energy sectors.
This enthusiasm was conveyed by the Austrian Foreign Minister, Alexander Schallenberg, to his Bangladeshi counterpart, Foreign Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud, during a bilateral meeting held in Vienna on Monday.
During the meeting, the two ministers discussed the possibility of signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on migration and mobility soon, aiming to facilitate the movement of skilled manpower from Bangladesh to Austria.
Following the lead of countries like Italy, Greece, and Romania, Austria, along with others, is now showing interest in recruiting Bangladeshi workers to address their workforce shortages.
Highlighting the competency of Bangladeshi ICT professionals, Hasan Mahmud emphasised their ability to work for Austrian hi-tech companies. Mahmud, who is on a two-day visit to Vienna from April 28–29, attended an international conference on autonomous weapon systems at the invitation of the Austrian Foreign Minister.
The discussions between the two foreign ministers also focused on deepening bilateral relations, particularly in economic cooperation. They agreed on various areas for cooperation, including trade and investment, migration and mobility, climate change, waste management, and post-graduation trade facilities for Bangladesh.
Both ministers emphasised the ample opportunities to enhance bilateral trade and Austrian investment in Bangladesh. They stressed the importance of exchanging trade missions and expediting the signing of an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation.
In a promising development, the Austrian foreign minister agreed to dispatch a trade mission to Bangladesh soon and explore the possibility of establishing a trade office in Dhaka.
Additionally, the ministers exchanged views on regional developments in South Asia and Europe, as well as other regions such as Myanmar, Gaza, and the Indo-Pacific.
Dr. Hasan Mahmud urged the international community to assist in repatriating forcibly displaced Rohingyas from Bangladesh to Myanmar for the sake of peace and stability in the region.
