Foreign Secretary Ambassador Md Jashim Uddin on Thursday called upon the heads of Bangladesh missions in different African countries to explore new avenues of cooperation with their host countries.
He also asked them to give utmost priority in providing consular services to the expatriate Bangladeshi.
The foreign secretary held a virtual meeting with them in a strategic effort to strengthen Bangladesh’s diplomatic engagement and expand bilateral cooperation in Africa, the foreign ministry said.
Additional Foreign Secretary and Inspector General of Missions Dr Md Nazrul Islam, Director General (Africa) B M Jamal Hossain, Director General (Administration) Mohammad Nazmul Haque and Heads of Bangladesh Missions in Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa attended the meeting.
The Foreign Secretary highlighted the growing significance of Africa in Bangladesh’s foreign policy and emphasized the importance of exploring potentials in the Africa’s emerging markets and vast natural resources to promote economic, trade and investment opportunities for Bangladesh.
Among others, a key focus of the discussions was agricultural cooperation, particularly in the area of contract farming.
The Foreign Secretary underscored the potential for Bangladesh to engage in mutually beneficial agricultural initiatives with African nations.
He urged the Ambassadors and High Commissioners to explore opportunities for collaboration in this sector.
The heads of missions shared updates on their ongoing initiatives and challenges, providing insights into their host countries’ priorities for collaboration with Bangladesh.