The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Prague has hosted the first session of bilateral negotiations between the Czech Republic and Bangladesh.
According to a news release from the foreign ministry here today, Czech Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Jirí Kozák and Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary Md. Jashim Uddin led their respective teams in the historic dialogue on Tuesday.
Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin began the discussion by updating his counterpart on the recent revolution in Bangladesh that was spearheaded by students and citizens in July and August.
In order to restore accountability and openness in the governance, he also described the objective of the Interim Government and the ongoing changes.
The discussions focused on identifying potential areas to deepen existing bilateral relations between the two countries, the press release said.
Both sides acknowledged significant opportunities to expand bilateral trade and agreed on the urgency of convening the first meeting of the Joint Commission on Trade Promotion and Economic Cooperation, established under the 2019 Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation.
After a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in 2013, Foreign Secretary Jashim stressed the need of reviving relations between the Czech Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI).
In order to open up investment prospects, he called for increased cooperation between chambers of commerce and small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).
In order to strengthen economic connections, the Foreign Secretary also suggested establishing an agreement on the reciprocal promotion and protection of investments and urged for the faster issuing of business visas.
The two nations decided to step up their collaboration in the areas of energy, climate change, ICT, and science and technology. Additionally, they pledged to investigate manpower export programs, simplify the process for Bangladeshi students wishing to pursue higher education in the Czech Republic, and cultivate closer interpersonal links.
According to the press release, the talks also covered possible cooperation between Bangladesh and the Czech Republic within the framework of the European Union.
