Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has emphasized on signing a "Coastal Shipping Agreement" to enhance trade and commerce links between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
He made this remarks while attending a meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart Tilak Marapana on the sidelines of the IORA Blue Economy Ministerial Conference at the Hotel Intercontinental on Thursday.
During the meeting, they discussed various areas of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, with particular focus on enhancing business connectivity.
The foreign minister highlighted the potential of importing quality and affordable pharmaceutical products from Bangladesh to Sri Lanka.
Dr Momen also stressed on signing the agreements on Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investment, Avoidance of Double Taxation and Cooperation on Customs Matters for further safeguarding and encouraging investments in a win-win manner.
Agreeing with Dr Momen, the Sri Lankan foreign minister informed that a business delegation from his country is scheduled to visit Bangladesh in mid-September to discuss further business opportunities.
Marapana also talked about the potential of developing cruise tourism in the Bay of Bengal.
The Bangladeshi foreign minister sought Sri Lankan support in connection with Rohingya repatriation from Bangladesh to Myanmar, with safety and dignity.
He cautioned that if this situation is allowed to continue for long, it can lead to security challenges in the region.
Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas and most of them entered the country since August 25, 2017.
