South and Southeast Asia must boost economic cooperation: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday called for economic cooperation among the countries in South and Southeast Asia for the mutual benefit of the people of the region.  

"Economic cooperation is necessary among the countries in South Asia and South East Asia for the mutual benefit of the people of this region," she said. 

The prime minister said this while outgoing Ambassador of the Republic of Korea Lee Jang-keun called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban.

PM's press secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed the reporters after the call on.

He said that PM Hasina admired Korean success in the transformation of the country into a developed country within a generation.

She mentioned that this success inspired Bangladesh in its endeavour to steer the nation towards development and prosperity. 

The PM recalled her two visits to South Korea saying that on the second visit, she witnessed the amazing development there. 

Ambassador Lee Jang-keun emphasised the enhancement of trade, official development assistance (ODA), employment and investment between the two countries.

He said that in 2020 the trade volume between Bangladesh and South Korea was $1.5 billion which now stands at $3 billion. 

He also mentioned that the ODA was $500 million in 2020 whereas it now stands at $3 billion. 

The ambassador said that Korea is interested to take skilled manpower from Bangladesh's shipbuilding sector. 

He highly appreciated the remarkable development of Bangladesh under the leadership of PM Hasina in the last 14 years. 

Expressing satisfaction with his tenure in Bangladesh, he said Bangladesh people are in his heart.

Prime Minister's Ambassador-at-Large Mohammad Ziauddin and Prime Minister's Principal Secretary Mohammad Tofazzel Hossain Miah were present at the meeting.