Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has met his Australian counterpart Marise Payne and 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.

During the bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of "Munich Security Conference 2022" in Germany, the two foreign ministers also exchanged greetings on the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and Australia.

They recalled the exchange of goodwill messages between the prime ministers of the two countries to mark the occasion.

Dr Momen said 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.

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He urged his Australian counterpart to jointly explore ways to increase the volume and content of bilateral trade.

Also, the two ministers discussed the possibility of organising 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.

He reiterated the call on introducing direct flights between the two countries, particularly for the convenience of Bangladesh expatriates living in Australia.

Dr Momen urged Australia to continue to work on finding durable solutions to the Rohingya humanitarian crisis, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Marise assured of her country's abiding commitment to this end.

Bangladesh Ambassador to Germany Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuyian was present at the meeting.

The three-day Munich Security Conference 2022 ended Sunday.

Dr Momen 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 him at the conference.

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