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Dhaka, June 24, 2025: Chief Adviser of the Interim Government, Professor Muhammad Yunus, held a courtesy meeting with Lulzim Plana, the Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo responsible for Bangladesh, on Tuesday afternoon at the State Guest House Yamuna. This marked Ambassador Plana’s first official visit.
During the meeting, Chief Adviser Yunus extended warm congratulations to Ambassador Plana on his appointment and welcomed him to Bangladesh. Reflecting on the spirit of Bangladesh’s ‘July Uprising,’ he praised the people of Kosovo for their unwavering commitment to freedom, peace, and national sovereignty.
In response, Ambassador Plana expressed deep gratitude to the government and people of Bangladesh for recognizing Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state. He recalled the contributions of Grameen Kosovo in rebuilding lives after the armed conflict in the region during the late 1990s. He stated, “We view Bangladesh as a valued partner. I express special gratitude for the contributions of Bangladeshi UN peacekeepers in the post-war period and for the support provided by the Grameen Trust, founded by you.”
Established in 1999, Grameen Kosovo is now the country’s leading microcredit institution, operating in 20 municipalities and 219 villages, with 97% of its borrowers being women. The Grameen Trust of Bangladesh implements this microcredit program. Recalling those challenging times, Chief Adviser Yunus said, “The entire region was devastated. There was no currency or banking system. We started Grameen Bank’s operations from scratch.”
The meeting also focused on strengthening bilateral relations through enhanced trade and economic cooperation. Chief Adviser Yunus emphasized mutual collaboration in promising sectors such as export-oriented garments, pharmaceuticals, leather and leather goods, jute products, processed foods, and light engineering. He urged Kosovo to increase investments in Bangladesh’s economic zones.
Ambassador Plana highlighted the need to strengthen ties between the business communities of both countries and called for greater cooperation between their trade and industry chambers to boost mutual trade and investment. Chief Adviser Yunus stressed the importance of people-to-people connections, requesting support for employing more Bangladeshi workers in various sectors in Kosovo. He also proposed increasing the admission of Bangladeshi students to Kosovo’s universities through scholarships, fellowships, and academic grants.
AI/MR
