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Saudi FM in Dhaka to discuss ways to improve ties with Bangladesh
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir has arrived in Dhaka to discuss ways of improving the “strong and solid” ties with Bangladesh.
Published : 8 March 2016, 03:30 PM
Updated : 8 March 2016, 03:32 PM
“I am here to discuss ways to improve consultation, coordination and cooperation between the two brotherly counties,” he said at the Shahjalal Internaitonal Airport soon after he touched down at about 6pm on Tuesday.
Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali received him at the airport.
This is the first-ever visit by a Saudi foreign minister during “the tenure of a democratic government in Bangladesh”, the foreign ministry said.
The Saudi minister went to the Ganabhaban to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
He will also attend dinner hosted by his counterpart before leaving Dhaka at about 10pm.
Ahmed Al-Jubeir said he was here “to strengthen the already strong and solid relations between the countries in all fields”.
“I am pleased to be here and it’s great honour to be received here. We will discuss every issue and the ways to improve and strengthen the solid ties,” he said
Saudi Arabia is the biggest destination of Bangladeshi manpower.
Earlier, both the foreign ministers had met on the sidelines of an extraordinary OIC summit in Jakarta on Sunday, and discussed bilateral issues.
The foreign ministry said Ali had invited Al-Jubeir there to visit Bangladesh. This was the second meeting between the ministers in two months.
The Saudi minister said those meetings were “very productive and fruitful”.
During the meeting in January, Ali conveyed the greetings of Hasina to Saudi King Salman and proposed that she might undertake a visit to the kingdom “preferably between March and May this year”.
His Saudi counterpart conveyed that “King Salman would be more than happy to receive her”.
Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia have also vowed to fight terrorism and extremism through “meaningful cooperation”.
Hasina’s government has announced that it is joining a Saudi-led military initiative to fight against terrorism.
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