Bangladesh, Sept. 7 -- The European Union has welcomed Bangladesh's efforts to deepen economic ties with the bloc and urged swift progress on a proposed Airbus aircraft deal with Biman Bangladesh Airlines, as Dhaka said it had resolved 48 of 61 trade barriers identified by the EU ahead of formal negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA).

EU Ambassador and Head of Delegation Michael Miller said Airbus had presented a highly competitive offer and expressed hope that negotiations between Airbus and Biman would be concluded quickly.

"In our view, Airbus has an incredibly competitive offer. It should be taken very seriously, and we look forward to the very swift concluding of negotiations between Airbus and Biman," Miller said.

His comm...