Bangladesh and Malaysia on Tuesday discussed ways to ensure the early conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries.
Acting Foreign Minister Humaiun Kobir met Malaysian Foreign Minister Utama Haji Mohamad Bin Haji Hasan in St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda, on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), where they discussed issues of mutual interest.
Both ministers also discussed the need for joint inspections and monitoring of the migration system to ensure a fair and transparent recruitment process for Bangladeshi workers in the Malaysian labour market.
Recalling Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's historic state visit to Malaysia in June this year, they expressed satisfaction with the growing bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries.
The Malaysian foreign minister expressed hope that Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim would undertake a return visit to Dhaka at an early date.
The meeting also reviewed existing bilateral relations beyond expatriate issues, with a particular focus on trade and investment.
Utama Haji Mohamad Bin Haji Hasan assured Malaysia’s support for Bangladesh's aspirations to become a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as its accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).