Strengthening bilateral relations, deepening economic partnerships and increasing investment will be Bangladesh’s main priorities during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s upcoming visit to Japan, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir has said.
“Our main priorities during the Japan visit will be to strengthen bilateral relations, deepen economic partnerships and increase investment,” he told journalists after attending a seminar on Bangladesh-Saudi Arabia relations.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to leave for a four-day visit to Japan on October 26.
Kobir said Bangladesh would prioritise trade, investment and development partnerships across various sectors during the visit, in line with its approach to engagement with other countries.
He said Bangladesh was seeking reciprocal investment partnerships with countries worldwide in clearly defined areas of cooperation.
Describing Japan as one of Bangladesh’s largest and longstanding development partners, the state minister said Japanese investment in several mega projects had helped build strong diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries.
He recalled that the Prime Minister had previously attended an energy summit in Japan at the invitation of the Japanese premier when the country was facing an energy crisis. The engagement had helped strengthen the Japanese government’s confidence in Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, he added.
Kobir said the upcoming visit would feature detailed discussions on sector-specific cooperation and opportunities for reciprocal investment.
On Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s proposed visit to Saudi Arabia, the state minister said the Saudi Crown Prince had invited the Prime Minister to visit the Kingdom and that he had accepted the invitation.
He added that the Saudi Crown Prince had also expressed interest in visiting Bangladesh, which would welcome him at a mutually convenient time.
Responding to a question about protecting the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, Kobir said Bangladesh’s position was clear and uncompromising.
He said Bangladesh, as one of the world’s largest Muslim countries, stood ready to provide necessary support if requested to help protect the holy sites and mosques of the Muslim world.
The seminar was jointly organised by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and the Center for Migration Studies of North South University (NSU).
Foreign Ministry Secretary (Bilateral) Dr Md Nazrul Islam, Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Secretary Md Mokhtar Ahmed, BIISS Director General Major General A S M Ridwanur Rahman and NSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Abdul Hannan Chowdhury also addressed the event.
