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Bangladesh and Bhutan to hold trade negotiations in July |
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May 18, 2000
Dhaka, May 17 (UNB) - Bangladesh and Bhutan agreed to hold bilateral trade negotiations here in July to renew Dhaka-Thimpu agreements on Trade and Transit that expires on September 7. The trade talks will also include other related issues to facilitate more efficient flow of trade between the two close neighbors, said a joint Bangladesh-Bhutan statement today (Wednesday). In the statement they stressed the need for improvement of the infrastructure facilities for trade and speeding up the process of opening an additional trade route through Nakugaon and Dalu. The decision on trade talks was taken during the 5-day goodwill visit of the Royal Bhutanese Foreign Minister, Lyonpo Jigmi Y Thinley, to Bangladesh. During his stay in Bangladesh, Thinley called on President Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister Abdus Samad Azad and senior officials of the government of Bangladesh. Citing the historic ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries, the two sides reviewed the existing bilateral cooperation and agreed to further consolidate and expand it through sustained mutual efforts. They underscored the need for capitalizing on the excellent goodwill and friendship existing between the two peoples. In the joint communique they agreed that there was vast potential for enhancement of bilateral cooperation in economic, social and cultural fields, which needed to be concretized through specific measures such as expansion of trade and investments, people-to-people contacts and frequent exchange of visits at different levels. The two sides appreciated the progress in bilateral trade and expressed their desire to expand it further. In this context, the two sides underscored the important role being played by the private sector of the two counties. Recalling the significance of SAARC, the two Foreign Ministers agreed to work towards its revitalization by starting interactions at the official level. They were convinced that the vast potential of SAARC could only be tapped by accelerating the process of regional cooperation in South Asia. They stressed the importance of forging sub-regional cooperation under the initiative of the South Asia Growth Quadrangle (SAGQ). The two foreign ministers were satisfied at the outcome of their meeting that added a new dimension and provided greater impetus to bilateral relations. They agreed to meet more frequently to review the progress in bilateral cooperation and the Bhutanese Foreign Minister extended an invitation to his Bangladesh counterpart to visit the Himalayan Kingdom at a mutually convenient time. The Bangladesh Foreign Minister accepted the invitation. |