TPT Dhaka Bureau: Bangladesh and Australia have the scope to further enhance and diversify their trade and economic cooperation, especially with the signing of the Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement (TIFA) last year. Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Dr. A K Abdul Momen MP, and Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne shared this conviction on 20 February 2022, at a bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference – 2022 in Munich, Germany.
The two Foreign Ministers exchanged greetings on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. They also recalled the exchange of goodwill messages between the Prime Ministers of the two countries to mark the occasion.
The Bangladesh Foreign Minister urged his Australian counterpart to jointly explore ways to increase the volume and content of bilateral trade. The two Ministers discussed the possibility of organizing a visit by a business delegation focusing on pharmaceutical exports from Bangladesh.
The Australian Foreign Minister expressed interest in exporting wool for Bangladesh’s apparel industry. The two sides discussed the possibility of cooperation in both offshore gas exploration and renewable energy.
Dr. Momen requested Australia to provide skills training for increased jobs creation in the renewable energy sector. Momen reiterated this suggestion on introducing direct flights between the two countries, particularly for the convenience of Bangladesh expatriates living in Australia.
The two Foreign Ministers exchanged views on the Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of growing interest in the region. They reaffirmed the importance of freedom of navigation for the shared prosperity and security of all in the region.
Dr. Momen urged Australia to continue to work on finding durable solutions to the Rohingya humanitarian crisis. Australian Foreign Minister Payne assured of her country’s abiding commitment to this end. Bangladesh Ambassador to Germany Md. Mosharraf Hossain Bhuyian, NDC was present at the meeting.
The three-day Munich Security Conference – 2022 concluded on Sunday. The Bangladesh Foreign Minister spoke at a panel discussion on tackling the climate crisis on the first day. Lieutenant General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division accompanied the minister at the conference.
