Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday ahead of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between Bangladesh and Pakistan, set to take place on Thursday — the first such meeting since 2010.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs South Asia Wing Director General Ishrat Jahan welcomed Baloch upon her arrival, said an official.
Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin will lead the Bangladesh side, while his Pakistani counterpart will head Islamabad’s delegation at the talks, which will be held at the State Guest House Padma.
Baloch took charge as the 33rd foreign secretary of Pakistan on September 11, 2023.
Islamabad reportedly proposed the consultations as part of its efforts to strengthen diplomatic ties with Dhaka.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar is also scheduled to visit Bangladesh later this month.
Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said on Tuesday that the visit will feature discussions on all issues of mutual interest.
Dar’s trip will mark the first visit by a Pakistani foreign minister to Bangladesh since 2012.
During recent diplomatic exchanges, both sides expressed satisfaction over the increased frequency of trade delegations from Pakistan to Bangladesh.
They also underscored the need for product-specific trade missions from Bangladesh to Pakistan.
The two sides discussed potential cooperation in tourism, cultural exchanges and people-to-people contacts.
The Rohingya refugee issue and collaboration at international forums were also on the agenda.
Officials recalled meetings between Bangladesh’s chief adviser and Pakistan’s prime minister on the sidelines of the D-8 Summit in Cairo in December 2024 and at the 79th UN General Assembly in New York in September 2024.
They also referred to a meeting between Bangladesh’s foreign adviser and Pakistan’s deputy prime minister on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Apia, Samoa in October 2024.
