Bamboo Castle
FULL MEMBER
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2013
- Messages
- 508
- Reaction score
- 0
Bangladesh Sri Lanka bilateral cooperation reached new heights yesterday with several agreements signed between the two sides in Colombo. They included defence, trade and shipping.
Shahidul Haque, visiting Bangladesh Foreign Secretary, made the announcement to the media, following talks with his Sri Lankan counterpart Karunathillaka Amunugama.
He noted that enhanced maritime connectivity figured prominently in the discussions. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) comprised cooperation in trade, defence, education and health.
In terms of the agreements, Bangladesh would export its pharmaceutical products to Sri Lanka. There would also be training exchanges in the health sector, he said.
Increased defense collaboration involving an exchange of training opportunities and knowledge, have also been provided for.
Haque said that economic cooperation also played an important role in bilateral relations.
External Affairs Ministry Secretary Karunathilaka Amunugama described the Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) as very fruitful with significant progress being achieved.
He said that the forthcoming visit of the Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the countrys Foreign Minister Mohamed Amr, to Sri Lanka would further strengthen bilateral ties.
Maritime connectivity, with a special focus on a regular feeder service, including coastal shipping, had also figured in the FOC, informed sources said.
The other areas discussed included the establishment of a trade framework, tariff reductions, removal of trade barriers, trade facilitation and investment promotion, visa waiver on diplomatic and official passports, measures to enhance people-to-people contacts and cultural linkages.
The entire gamut of bilateral relations and an assessment of the progress made in implementing decisions taken during the visit of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to Bangladesh in 2011, at the 4th Joint Economic Commission in 2012 and during the visit of External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L.Peiris to Dhaka in February this year, had come under review, the sources noted.
The Island
Shahidul Haque, visiting Bangladesh Foreign Secretary, made the announcement to the media, following talks with his Sri Lankan counterpart Karunathillaka Amunugama.
He noted that enhanced maritime connectivity figured prominently in the discussions. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) comprised cooperation in trade, defence, education and health.
In terms of the agreements, Bangladesh would export its pharmaceutical products to Sri Lanka. There would also be training exchanges in the health sector, he said.
Increased defense collaboration involving an exchange of training opportunities and knowledge, have also been provided for.
Haque said that economic cooperation also played an important role in bilateral relations.
External Affairs Ministry Secretary Karunathilaka Amunugama described the Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) as very fruitful with significant progress being achieved.
He said that the forthcoming visit of the Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the countrys Foreign Minister Mohamed Amr, to Sri Lanka would further strengthen bilateral ties.
Maritime connectivity, with a special focus on a regular feeder service, including coastal shipping, had also figured in the FOC, informed sources said.
The other areas discussed included the establishment of a trade framework, tariff reductions, removal of trade barriers, trade facilitation and investment promotion, visa waiver on diplomatic and official passports, measures to enhance people-to-people contacts and cultural linkages.
The entire gamut of bilateral relations and an assessment of the progress made in implementing decisions taken during the visit of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to Bangladesh in 2011, at the 4th Joint Economic Commission in 2012 and during the visit of External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L.Peiris to Dhaka in February this year, had come under review, the sources noted.
The Island
