[🇧🇩] Can Bangladesh Establish a Strategic Relationship with Egypt?

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Source : https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/diplomacy/news/bangladesh-egypt-strengthening-bilateral-ties-3602201

Bangladesh, Egypt for strengthening bilateral ties

Photo: Collected

Bangladesh and Egypt have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation by organising regular foreign office consultations.

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Hassan Shoukry had a meeting yesterday afternoon on the sidelines of the opening session of the 15th Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit in Gambia.

There, they discussed issues related to mutual interest, including increasing trade and investment between the two countries and the Rohingya crisis.

At the meeting, Hasan proposed mutual visa exemption and trade expansion with Egypt and the Egyptian foreign minister initially agreed in principle to sign an agreement on diplomatic and official visa exemption.

Besides, the Egyptian foreign minister assured that his government would give full support to the construction of the Chancery building of the Bangladesh mission in Egypt.

After that, Secretary General of the Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO) Deemah Al Yahya paid a courtesy call on Hasan Mahmud.

The secretary general informed the FM that the member states of DCO are drafting an agreement titled "Multilateral AI Agreement" on International Use of Artificial Intelligence.​

 

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Import fertilisers, petrochemicals from Egypt

Egypt wants Bangladesh to import petrochemicals and fertilisers from the Northeast African country, said Omar Mohie Eldin Ahmed Fahmy, ambassador of Egypt to Bangladesh.

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Import fertilisers, petrochemicals from Egypt
Its ambassador says

Egypt wants Bangladesh to import petrochemicals and fertilisers from the Northeast African country, said Omar Mohie Eldin Ahmed Fahmy, ambassador of Egypt to Bangladesh.

The ambassador made the comments during a courtesy meeting with Ashraf Ahmed, president of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), at the latter's office in the capital yesterday, according to a press release.

Fahmy said in spite of having 50 years of friendly diplomatic relations, bilateral trade has not yet reached expected levels as it was worth only $180.55 million in fiscal year 2022-23.

The Egyptian ambassador also said an Egyptian company has already invested in Bangladesh's telecommunication sector and was functioning quite well.

The ambassador noted that the pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh is flourishing and there is a strong demand for drugs used in the treatment of cancer in the Egyptian market, which Bangladeshi entrepreneurs can take advantage of.

He mentioned that Bangladesh can utilise the port of Egypt as a "transshipment hub" when exporting products to Europe and other parts of the world.

Also, Egypt could be one of the best alternative sources of onion for meeting Bangladesh's demand, he opined.

Welcoming the ambassador, the DCCI president said Bangladesh's frozen food, shrimp and mangoes were being exported in large quantities to markets around the world, including Europe, and there is a great opportunity to export those to Egypt.

He requested the entrepreneurs of Egypt to import products or services from the information technology (IT), leather, readymade garments, ceramics and pharmaceutical sectors of Bangladesh.

Besides, Ahmed emphasised on Egypt's experience and technical support for the development of Bangladesh's river-based tourism industry.

The DCCI president opined that Bangladesh can be considered as a gateway to South and Southeast Asian countries in terms of increasing Egyptian exports.

He also requested the Egyptian entrepreneurs to come up with investments in Bangladesh's economic zones or export processing zones.

Ahmed also laid emphasis on the development of bilateral relations using trade organisations and signing memorandums of understanding.

Moreover, he suggested arranging frequent sector-specific business-to-business conferences.

Among others, Malik Talha Ismail Bari, senior vice-president of the DCCI, Md Junaed Ibna Ali, vice-president, and Soheila Mahran, deputy chief of mission of the Egyptian embassy in Dhaka, were also present.​

 

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Bangladesh, Egypt to revitalise bilateral ties

Bangladesh and Egypt want to revitalise the bilateral relationship in light of the golden jubilee of the diplomatic ties between the two countries this year

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Bangladesh, Egypt to revitalise bilateral ties

Bangladesh and Egypt want to revitalise the bilateral relationship in light of the golden jubilee of the diplomatic ties between the two countries this year.

The relationship was discussed when Egyptian Ambassador to Bangladesh Omar Mohie Eldin Ahmed Fahmy paid a courtesy call on Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain yesterday at the foreign ministry, according to a statement.

The meeting explored potential avenues for collaboration. They agreed to enhance their collaboration in promoting trade and commerce, aiming to unlock the untapped potentials in these sectors. They emphasised agriculture, petrochemicals, textiles, and shipping as key areas for further cooperation.

Reflecting on the cordial bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Egypt, Touhid Hossain said he had a productive meeting with his Egyptian counterpart during the 79th UNGA.

The ambassador expressed gratitude for the humanitarian assistance that Bangladesh has provided to the Palestinian people.

Touhid Hossain conveyed optimism for enhanced solidarity among Arab nations and the broader international community in their collective efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict.

Ambassador Oma informed that Egypt would host the D-8 Summit in 2024 and conveyed Egypt's invitation for the participation of Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus.​