Brunei keen to import halal food items from Bangladesh: FM
Azerbaijan has also shown interest in exporting oil and gas to Bangladesh. We discussed establishing direct air connectivity between the two countries,” he said at a press conference at his ministry
Brunei has expressed interest in importing Bangladeshi halal food items, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said on Wednesday (8 May).
"Azerbaijan has also shown interest in exporting oil and gas to Bangladesh. We discussed establishing direct air connectivity between the two countries," he said at a press conference at his ministry.
The minister highlighted Bangladesh's efforts to expand trade relations and attract investment during his recent visits to Southeast Asia, Europe, and Africa.
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Seeking cooperation on Rohingya issue, agriculture
Regarding the OIC summit in the Gambia, he said, Bangladesh presented a strong statement at the OIC summit in Gambia regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Rohingya issue was also discussed, seeking international cooperation.
The Gambian law minister reported positive progress on the Rohingya case at the International Court of Justice.
During ministerial meetings, Egypt, the Gambia, and Sudan expressed interest in receiving agricultural assistance from Bangladesh. Discussions on leasing agricultural land in the Gambia are also progressing positively.
Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) Secretary General Deemah AlYahya expressed interest in visiting Bangladesh's IT villages to learn more about the country's ICT sector and explore ways to increase Bangladesh's IT exports.
Dhaka seeks FTAs with Indonesia, Malaysia
To address the current trade imbalance favouring Indonesia and Malaysia, Bangladesh is exploring Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) to boost exports.
"We discussed FTAs with our Indonesian and Malaysian counterparts," Hasan Mahmud said. "An FTA could significantly increase our exports to these countries."
Austria has expressed a positive attitude towards Bangladesh's skilled workforce and is interested in investing in the country's IT sector, according to the minister.
UK minister of state Anne-Marie meets FM
Anne-Marie Trevelyan, UK Minister of State for Indo-Pacific, on Wednesday, met with Hasan Mahmud at the latter's office and commended Bangladesh's development progress.
They discussed expanding trade ties, deploying skilled Bangladeshi workers in the UK, and collaboration on climate change and the Rohingya crisis.
The UK has also expressed interest in selling aircraft to Bangladesh with favourable payment options.
He also talked about the upcoming visits of Donald Lu, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, likely this month.
