State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam has stressed the need for strengthening bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Lithuania.

Emphasising enhanced trade and economic relations, she has urged Lithuania to import ready-made garments, textiles, pharmaceutical products, bio-degradable jute and jute products, leather and leather products, agro-products, furniture, plastic goods, and ships from Bangladesh.

The state minister has highlighted investment opportunities in Bangladesh across sectors such as apparel, leather, light engineering, agro-processing, petroleum, renewable energy, the IT sector, and waste management, and invited Lithuania to invest in Bangladesh.

The issues were discussed when the Non-Resident Ambassador of Lithuania to Bangladesh, Diana Mickeviciene, called on her at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday.

During the meeting, they also discussed cooperation and partnership in various sectors and issues, including education, demographic dividends, manpower and employment opportunities, human mobility and migration, visa facilitation, women empowerment, sports and culture, and deepening engagement in international organisations.

Recalling the historic relations that Bangladesh and Lithuania established through diplomatic ties in 1992, Shama Obaed emphasised expanding mutually beneficial bilateral relations in all possible sectors.

They focused on expanding cooperation in information technology, financial technology, e-governance, cybersecurity, e-registration, e-transportation, digitisation of the transport system, AI and high-tech medical device systems.

The Lithuanian ambassador highlighted their potential and expressed their keen interest in expanding cooperation, collaboration, and partnership with Bangladesh in these areas, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  

To deepen engagements, both sides also discussed and agreed on the importance of matters related to high-level visits, exchange of business delegations, collaboration among business chambers, knowledge and technology sharing, youth and student exchanges, exchange of cultural troupes, cooperation in tourism and wider people-to-people contacts between the two countries.

Describing Lithuania as the next Chair of the European Union during January-July 2027, Diana Mickeviciene highlighted that Lithuania might be a gateway to the wider EU region for certain Bangladeshi products requiring registration, including pharmaceutical products, and certain services from Bangladesh to EU markets.

She further emphasised the role of the EU-Bangladesh Business Forum, compliance with existing frameworks for business and for legal and regular migration, and availing regional connectivity centring on Lithuania in the Baltic region and beyond to explore untapped potential for enhancing deeper relations.