Dhaka: The Ambassadors of Bhutan and Nepal today paid separate courtesy calls on State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam and discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation and regional collaboration.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Ambassador of Bhutan to Bangladesh Dasho Karma Hamu Dorjee and Ambassador of Nepal Ghanshyam Bhandari met the state minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The foreign ministry's press release stated that the envoys congratulated Obaed on assuming office and expressed their governments' keen interest in working closely with the new government of Bangladesh.
During the meetings, the state minister reiterated the BNP government's priority to foster strong, mutually beneficial, and forward-looking relations with neighbouring countries to promote regional peace and prosperity. In the meeting with the Bhutanese ambassador, both sides reviewed the overall state of Bangladesh-Bhutan relations and expressed interest in further strengthening cooperation in areas including trade and commerce, energy, connectivity, education, and people-to-people contacts. The state minister also recalled with appreciation Bhutan's historic recognition of Bangladesh in 1971. They also discussed ongoing engagements, particularly the expansion of bilateral trade and the establishment of a Bhutanese Special Economic Zone in Kurigram.
In a separate meeting with the Nepalese envoy, the state minister congratulated the government and people of Nepal on the successful conduct of their recent parliamentary election. Both sides discussed a range of issues of mutual interest including trade and commerce, energy cooperation, connectivity, education, tourism, cultural exchange, and people-to-people contacts. They reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation and further strengthening the longstanding friendly relations between Bangladesh and Nepal.
During the discussions, views were also exchanged on enhancing regional cooperation. The state minister recalled the vision of late President Ziaur Rahman in establishing SAARC and underscored the importance of revitalising the regional organisation to promote greater collaboration among South Asian countries.