Bangladesh-Brazil bonhomie

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 24 July 2013, 12:33 PM
Updated : 24 July 2013, 12:33 PM

Brazil looks forward to strengthen bilateral relations with Bangladesh after Brasilia and Dhaka recently reopened diplomatic missions.

Brazil’s new Ambassador to Dhaka Wanja Campos da Nobrega during a meeting promised Foreign Minister Dipu Moni on Wednesday “to do her best to further strengthen the friendly relations.”

According to a media release, they underscored “the necessity of boosting bilateral ties between Bangladesh and Brazil for mutual benefit”.

Bangladesh last year opened its mission in most populous South American country after Brazil reopened its embassy in Dhaka in 2010, nearly after a decade of closure due to low engagement between the two countries.

With the bilateral trade soaring up to more than $ 700 million in recent years, mostly because of Bangladesh’s import of agricultural products like sugar, the two countries renewed their diplomatic engagement.

The government opened the embassy to, what officials earlier said, identify new avenues of cooperation, and bolster trade and economic ties.

Bangladesh also hopes to get preferential access to Brazilian market as a least developed country (LDC), export readymade garments with lower tariff than the existing one, provide jute products for Brazilian coffee industry, and get cooperation in agricultural research, seed production, and fruit processing.

The new Ambassador acknowledged “the huge potential of cooperation” in trade and agriculture sectors.

She said, “Brazil can benefit from the experiences of Bangladesh as despite her resource constraints, it has successfully advanced itself in the social sector”.

The Foreign Minister assured her of extending “possible cooperation”.