Citing food security as a new area of cooperation, Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin on Wednesday said Kuwaiti investors could take advantage of investing in Bangladesh’s agro-base products and food processing sector in the Exclusive Economic Zones.
Newly appointed Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to Bangladesh Ali Tunyan Abdul Wahab Hamadah welcomed the idea and responded positively.
During a courtesy meeting with Foreign Secretary Jashim, the envoy expressed Kuwait’s readiness to engage with the Bangladesh’s proposal on food security initiatives especially as well as development of halal food industry in Bangladesh.
The meeting focused on reviewing the existing areas of bilateral cooperation including employment of workers, trade, energy, food security and forging cooperation in new areas.
During the meeting, Ambassador Hamadah expressed the Kuwaiti government’s keen interests to enhance engagement with the Government of Bangladesh and underlined the need to increase cooperation in bilateral trade, business and investment area.
Both sides discussed the ways and means to explore opportunities and potential and identify key areas for a structured collaboration aimed at boosting investment and trade for mutual benefits of the two countries, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Foreign Secretary described the bilateral cooperation as a role model adding that employment of workforce in Kuwait, people-to-people contact, energy security and defense and development cooperation were the pillars of this longstanding bilateral ties.
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The envoy expressed deep appreciation for the contribution of the Bangladesh workforce in Kuwait praising them as loyal, hard-working and committed adding that they have been contributing to the economic development of both the brotherly countries.
He said that Kuwait was ready to recruiting more Bangladesh workforce specially in skilled and professional trades and in technical fields like doctors, nurses, IT experts etc.
The Foreign Secretary thanked the government of Kuwait for employing a good number of nurses in the recent time under the MoU signed between the two countries.
He also expressed a positive response to the Kuwaiti intent to recruit domestic aides and their proposal for signing a legal instrument with the government of Bangladesh for the smooth regulation and management of domestic workers’s employment and rights in their workplace.
Recalling the excellent defense collaboration between the two countries, they also appreciated the professionalism and dedication of military professionals serving in Kuwait.
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Ambassador Hamadah took a positive note of the Bangladeshi proposal for simplifying visa procedures for business people and investors, acknowledging the issue as a vital step in strengthening economic collaboration.
Both sides underlined the need to work towards expediting the pending visit of Kuwaiti delegation led by Assistant Minister for Asian Affairs to Dhaka to attend the Foreign Office Consultations between Bangladesh and Kuwait and the proposed visit of Kuwaiti Foreign Minister to attend the Joint Commission (JC) to be hosted in Dhaka.
The two sides also exchanged views and expressed satisfaction over the mutual collaboration in the international fora including the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD).
The meeting concluded with both sides reaffirming their commitment to deepening cooperation in the existing areas as well as new arena of collaboration in a structured and target-oriented manner.