Bangladesh and Brazil will hold their second political consultation in Brasilia on October 2, the Brazilian Ambassador in Dhaka Paulo Fernando Dias Feres has said.
He was speaking at a reception event hosted on the occasion of the 201st independence day of Brazil on Wednesday at a Dhaka hotel.
The ambassador said there was a lot of potential in enhancing the bilateral relations between the countries that began in 1972 when Brazil recognized independent Bangladesh.
"The meeting in Brasilia will discuss common interests ranging from climate change to defence, and the framework agreement on technical cooperation which is being finalized," he said.
He mentioned that a technical mission from the Brazilian Cooperation Agency is also coming to Bangladesh to evaluate how to improve its livestock and to look into other matters.
"The cooperation mission is a long overdue initiative that will open doors to more advanced cooperation in areas where Brazil excels," he said.
Last year, both countries celebrated 50 years of bilateral relations.
"We were among the first countries to recognize Bangladesh's independence, allowing the country to have an international life, and here we are," the ambassador said.
"This friendship has acquired greater economic significance. Our trade is not as robust as it should be, but it is considerable, consistent, and it is growing."
Mentioning that trade is very concentrated in garments and commodities, he said: "I am confident that with time we can diversify it. The two-way trade stood at $2 billion without institutional help.”
"So, we believe it is high time to give it a push," he added.
The ambassador observed that both politically and economically, Bangladesh is receiving much more attention from Brasilia. The country is becoming better known among the Brazilian public who wear more and more “Made in Bangladesh” garments.
He mentioned that during their meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, President Lulu and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina agreed to improve cooperation on trade, livestock, agribusiness, energy, infrastructure, and ICT, among other sectors.
"They will probably meet again during the upcoming G20 summit in New Delhi," he said, as Brazil is a member of G20 and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will join as an invited guest.
The ambassador remarked that President Lulu also showed interest in visiting Bangladesh.
"I hope he will visit in the future, which would be great for bringing the two countries closer together and enhancing our trade and cooperation," he said.
There is a growing Bangladeshi diaspora in Brazil, the ambassador added.