Norway keen to invest more in Bangladesh

Outgoing Norwegian ambassador Ingebjorg Stofring calls on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Gono Bhaban in the city yesterday. Photo: PMO

The outgoing Norwegian ambassador Ingebjorg Stofring yesterday expressed her country's keen interest to invest more in different sectors like green technology, power and energy, shipbuilding and agriculture.
Stofring said this when she paid a her farewell call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the latter's official residence Gono Bhaban in the city.
Stofring also assured the premier of Norwegian continued support to Bangladesh's social and infrastructural development sectors.
The envoy expressed her country's eagerness to increase joint partnership in business and investment as well as exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Bangladesh, Prime Minister's Deputy Press Secretary Md Nazrul Islam told newsmen after the meeting.
During the meeting, they discussed various matters of bilateral issues and Norwegian support to Bangladesh's development sector.
Referring to her government's efforts in socio-economic development, she said steps are being taken in this regard giving priority to woman empowerment, enhancement of social infrastructure as well as improvement of health and education.
About woman empowerment, Hasina said special attention is being attached to women education through introducing free female education up to degree level and creating more positions for them in the administration and at political levels.
She said the Awami League government has kept 30 percent seats reserved for the women in Union Parishad so that they can play a leading role in local administration.
Besides, the present government has increased reserved seats for women in parliament from 30 to 45 to make them politically self- reliant and enhancing their leadership capability', she added.
Referring to the programmes to attain cent percent education by 2014, she said her government has plan to introduce daytime meal for the students to prevent dropout at primary level.
She requested the Norwegian envoy to reserve a special zone in the Seed Bank in their country for Bangladesh so that the country can preserve its indigenous crop seeds for future use in an undistorted form.
Stofring thanked Hasina for extending all out support to her in discharging her duties in Bangladesh.
Stofring also congratulated the PM for winning the MDG-4 Award for significantly reducing child mortality rate in Bangladesh.
The envoy said Norway has attached importance to increasing export and import between the two countries along with Norwegian support to Bangladesh's development sector.