Norway keen to invest in 3G

Right, Trond Giske, Norwegian trade and commerce minister, poses with Vivek Sood, chief executive of Grameenphone, at GP House in Dhaka on Saturday. Photo: GP

Telenor will invest more in Bangladesh, especially in 3G services through Grameenphone, Norwegian Trade and Commerce Minister Trond Giske said yesterday.
He also expressed his country's interest to invest in shipbuilding/recycling and oil and gas sectors of Bangladesh.
Giske spoke in a meeting with Foreign Minister Dipu Moni in the capital and is leading an 18-member trade delegation on a two-day visit to the country.
Giske also appreciated GP's role in the socioeconomic development of Bangladesh, and expressed keen interest in expanding investment given a stable and investment-friendly regulatory regime, while visiting the GP headquarters in Bashundhara.
Telenor, a Norwegian public company, is a major shareholder in GP.
The Norwegian minister said the Norwegian Statoil is specialised in deep-sea operations and can invest in Bangladesh in the future, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
He also expressed interest in expanding their investment in Bangladesh's IT sector, which includes training and skill development through higher education.
The discussion between the two ministers was largely focused on economic cooperation, trade and investment and various ongoing and future initiatives.
Dipu Moni thanked Giske for the duty- and quota-free access that Norway extended to Bangladesh since July 2002 and hoped that trade between the two nations would increase further, as there is ample scope.
She stressed the need for more Norwegian investment in certain key sectors of shipbuilding, ship recycling, offshore exploration in oil and gas sector, ICT, which will be beneficial to both the countries.
The minister also requested Norway to provide more higher education scholarships and training for Bangladeshi students and professionals.
Giske assured of the Norwegian assistance for the development of Bangladesh.
Norwegian Ambassador in Dhaka Ragne Birte Lund was also present.