Dhaka: Dhaka today expressed gratitude to the Philippines for its assistance in recovering part of Bangladesh Bank’s stolen funds and requested further cooperation to retrieve the remaining amount. The appeal for continued support was made during a courtesy call by newly appointed Philippines Ambassador to Bangladesh, Nina Padilla Cainglet, on Foreign Secretary Ambassador Md. Jashim Uddin at the foreign ministry, as stated in a ministry press release.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the foreign secretary also sought the Philippines’ backing for Bangladesh’s efforts to become a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN and to address the ongoing Rohingya crisis. Ambassador Cainglet assured full support on these issues.
During their meeting, both the foreign secretary and the ambassador emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the Philippines, highlighting mutual respect, shared cultural values, goodwill, and common development goals as the foundation of their partnership.
The two officials agreed to hold the 3rd Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between Bangladesh and the Philippines soon, aiming to discuss a comprehensive range of bilateral matters and address issues of mutual interest. The foreign secretary underscored the need to finalize pending bilateral instruments to enable smoother collaboration across various sectors.
Jashim Uddin pointed out that the full potential of bilateral trade remains untapped and stressed the need to enhance trade and commerce between the two nations. He also emphasized prioritizing investment, direct air connectivity, capacity-building for migrant workers, nursing education, tourism, and stronger people-to-people ties.