Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said he would extend his country’s support to Bangladesh effort to become a member of the Mekong Ganga Cooperation.
“The Cambodian prime minister supported the request of Bangladesh to join the cooperation,” said a senior official of the foreign ministry.
Hun Sen arrived in city Monday at the invitation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and they had their official talks after a tête-à-tête yesterday.
“In the official talks, the Cambodian prime minister also said he would persuade other members to support the case of Bangladesh,” the official said.
The Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) is an initiative by six countries – India and five ASEAN countries, namely Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam launched in 2000 in Lao PDR, for cooperation in tourism, culture, education, as well as transport and communications.
“The Cambodian prime minister also supported Bangladesh’s request to become Asean dialogue partner,” the official said.
Bangladesh applied to become a dialogue partner of Asean but there is moratorium of expansion of dialogue till 2016 and Bangladesh proposal will be considered after that. China, Japan and India are the dialogue partners of 10-member Asean, a major regional trade bloc in the whole world.
In a joint statement issued after the official talks, it said: “The prime minister of Cambodia welcomed Bangladesh’s close cooperation and engagement with ASEAN member states and acknowledged Bangladesh’s deep interest in elevating the relationship to a level of dialogue partnership in ASEAN.”
It also said the Cambodian prime minister acknowledged the request of Bangladesh to accord a favourable consideration to Bangladesh’s joining the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation.
During the official talks both the prime ministers agreed to establish a Joint Trade Council to be co-chaired by commerce ministers of the two countries to widen economic cooperation and broaden trade relations between the countries.
“The prime minister of Cambodia welcomed Bangladesh’s intention to hold a Single Country Fair in Cambodia in 2015,” the statement said.
Sheikh Hasina thanked Hun Sen for his country’s support towards Bangladesh’s membership in ASEM.
Both the prime ministers agreed that there is an urgent need to narrow the development gaps between the rich and the poor.
“In this regard, they supported the call to the developed countries to grant duty-free quota-free market access to all products and services of the least developed countries to ensure sustainable development,” it said.
Four deals were signed after the official talks between the two countries. These are – agreement to establish of a Joint Commission, agreement for the promotion and reciprocal protection of investments, and agreement on cultural cooperation.
A memorandum of understanding on scientific and technical cooperation in the field of agriculture was also signed. Hun Sen is scheduled to leave Dhaka today.
