PM Hasina calls Thailand visit milestone in bilateral ties

Bangladesh and Thailand have the potential to strengthen cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, food security, tourism, public health, energy and ICT, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Friday, calling her official visit to the country a milestone in their bilateral relations.

“I strongly feel that we have the opportunity to strengthen our cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, food security, tourism, public health, energy, ICT, people-to-people contacts, and connectivity, and also under Bimstec,” she said while speaking at an official luncheon hosted by her Thai counterpart Srettha Thavisin at the latter’s office, Government House, in Bangkok.

Earlier, the two leaders had a one-on-one meeting for 15 minutes before leading their respective sides to a bilateral meeting there.

Five bilateral documents–an agreement, three memorandums of understanding (MoU) and a letter of intent (LOI)--were signed in the presence of the two prime ministers.

At the luncheon, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh attaches great importance to its relations with Thailand as an immediate neighbour.

“Our friendship is deeply rooted in historical, linguistic and common cultural heritage. The warm and cordial relations between our two friendly countries are ever-growing in multi-faceted areas of cooperation, including trade and investment, sustainable development, people-to-people contacts, and connectivity,” she added.

The Bangladesh prime minister said Prime Minister Thavisin and she discussed at length the bilateral and regional issues of mutual interests.

“We agreed to make all efforts to enhance our bilateral trade and encourage more interactions between the public and private entities of the two countries. Likewise, we must make all efforts to promote and facilitate bilateral investments,” she said.

The agreement and MoUs that Dhaka and Bangkok signed on Friday would provide a solid framework for enhancing their bilateral cooperation, she said.

She said the visit is part of a broader focus on the neighbourhood policy, which has provided an excellent opportunity for the two countries to further renew the momentum in their bilateral relations.

“I am confident that this visit will go a long way in deepening the relations between our two countries,” she said.

The prime minister said she firmly believes this visit would provide the much-needed impetus to the bilateral relations to its full potential.

“This official visit will remain a milestone in our bilateral relations. It has ushered in a new era of fruitful partnership between our two countries. We need to sustain the renewed momentum in our relationship for the mutual benefit of our people and countries in the days ahead,” she said.