Timor-Leste president seeks to boost trade ties with Bangladesh
He assures support for repatriation of Rohingyas
Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta yesterday expressed optimism over greater cooperation between Bangladesh and his country in the coming days to expand economic and trade relations.
"We can import more from Bangladesh," he said in a joint press conference at the Chief Adviser's Office after the bilateral meeting with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus.
The Timor-Leste president also invited Bangladeshi companies to his country and explore opportunities there.
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Ramos-Horta said, "We invite Bangladeshi companies to come to Timor-Leste as by next year, we will join ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and be part of a region of 700 million people."
The Timor-Leste president hoped that Bangladesh would be a partner of developing his country.
Ramos-Horta highlighted Nobel Peace Laureate Prof Yunus is one of the most respected leaders in the world, who is active in office, comparing the Bangladesh chief adviser to world leaders like Nelson Mandela, John F Kenned, Mahatma Gandhi, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara.
Earlier, Prof Yunus and the Timor-Leste president held "fruitful discussions" and witnessed the signing of two instruments — an MoU on bilateral consultations mechanism and an agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders.
The two leaders had a tete-a-tete which was followed by a delegation-level meeting.
Earlier in the morning, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain met Ramos-Horta and discussed issues of mutual interest.
Support for resolving Rohingya crisis
The Timor-Leste president has assured the interim government of his efforts to secure ASEAN's support for the repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar.
"And his excellency has assured us as an ASEAN member that he will try his best to make sure that ASEAN supports us in the Rohingya issues," Prof Yunus said at a joint press conference at his office yesterday.
He said, "Ramos-Horta will be a strong support for Bangladesh."
The Timor-Leste president is scheduled to call on President Mohammed Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban.
He is also scheduled to visit the National Martyrs' Memorial in Savar to pay homage to Bangladesh's Liberation War heroes.
Ramos-Horta will leave Dhaka later in the day.
