EU is with you: Pampaloni tells Prof Yunus

The European Union on Wednesday informed the interim government that it is ready to support Bangladesh in every possible way in its reform initiatives and fight against corruption.

“The message is very clear. The European Union is with you. We want to support your reform (initiatives),” Paola Pampaloni, Director, Asia and Pacific Department of European External Action Service told Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus confirming the support of 27 member states of the European Union for Bangladesh.

She expressed the readiness of the European countries to support Bangladesh when she called on the Chief Adviser at his office at Tejgaon, Dhaka, on Wednesday. Michael Miller, the ambassador and head of delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, was also present.

Pampaloni said that there will be no shortage of funds for reform, and they will also provide Bangladesh’s interim government with technical support for accomplishing the job.

The Chief Adviser appreciated the gesture and recalled his meeting with European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September, when the two discussed ways and means for support for Bangladesh.

He pointed out that Von der Leyen had pledged to help Bangladesh combat corruption and the country's transition towards renewable energy with its vast experience in the fields.

Pampaloni acknowledged that the European Union had done it with many other countries using its technical expertise and financial support.