Bangladesh, Maldives plan to sign PTA
Bangladesh and the Maldives on Thursday agreed to enter into a preferential trade agreement (PTA), aiming to enhance trade and commerce between the two countries.
The consensus on establishing the PTA reached at a bilateral meeting that took place at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Prime minister Sheikh Hasina and Maldivian president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih led the two sides at the meeting.
PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.
Karim said the two leaders reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and agreed to expand mutual cooperation in multiple prospective areas, including trade, commerce, investment, youth development, healthcare, education and pharmaceuticals.
President Solih appreciated prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s visionary leadership in transforming Bangladesh into a developed country by 2041.
The two leaders stressed the need for harnessing bilateral trade potential to its fullest extent.
Bangladesh expressed interest to enter into a PTA with the Maldives, said Karim.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina called upon the Maldives to import varieties of CSLM to address bilateral trade issues in details.
Both sides agreed to expedite the finalisation of the proposed agreement on customs cooperation and the signing of the agreement on avoidance of double taxation.
Both the leaders decided to establish a direct commercial shipping link between Male and three seaports of Bangladesh through signing a shipping agreement.
Bangladesh reiterated its policy of extending continued support towards development of human resources in the Maldives in different fields.
Bangladesh also offered training courses to the Maldivian peacekeepers at the Bangladesh institute of peace support operation training (BIPSOT).
Maldivian president Solih said all Bangladeshi expatriates in the Maldives will be vaccinated free of cost, which the prime minister appreciated.
He proposed considering the recruitment of Bangladeshi physicians and nurses in the Maldives to mitigate its deficit in medical professionals.
Solih appreciated significant contributions being made by Bangladeshi expatriate workers in the two economies.
On climate change issue, the two leaders agreed to closely work together in various multilateral platforms, including the UN and climate vulnerable forums.
The Maldives president said Bangladesh is a potential trade partner of the Maldives and expressed hope that the PTA would be signed in the near future.
The Maldives will cooperate Bangladesh in collecting Tuna fish from deep sea, he said adding that there would be tourism and air link cooperation between potential investors of both countries.
About Rohingya issue, the Maldives president said that his country wants to work jointly at the ICJ to protect the rights of Rohingyas.
Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen, commerce minister Tipu Munshi, LGRD minister Tajul Islam, fisheries and livestock minister SM Rezaul Karim, state minister for foreign affairs Shahriar Alam, principal secretary Ahmad Kaikaus and foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen were present at the meeting.
From the Maldives’ side, minister of foreign affairs Abdulla Shahid, minister of economic development Fayyaz Ismail, secretary of foreign relations Sabra Ibrahim Noordeen, and foreign secretary Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed were present at the meeting.
Later, the visiting president signed the visitors’ book at the PMO.