Australia announces Julia Niblett new High Commissioner in Bangladesh

Julia Niblett has been named as Australia's next High Commissioner to Bangladesh.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 24 July 2016, 01:32 PM
Updated : 24 July 2016, 05:28 PM

She is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
 
Niblett has previously held the positions of Assistant Secretary in South-East Asia Maritime Bilateral Branch; Mekong, Philippines and Myanmar Development Branch; and Asia Strategies and Partnerships Branch in the former AusAID.
 
She had been posted at Bangkok, Paris and Manila with the Immigration Department, according to the Australian foreign ministry.
 

Announcing her appointment, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said they support Bangladesh with significant aid investments in primary education and skills development.
“We are also enhancing our cooperation on shared security challenges, including counter-terrorism and people smuggling.”
Niblett holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Sydney and a Graduate Diploma of International Law from the Australian National University.
Australia was one of the first nations to recognise Bangladesh's independence in 1971.
The foreign minister said today, the two countries enjoy strong people-to-people links, particularly in sports and education.
“More than 5,000 Bangladeshi students studied in Australia last year, and over the next 12 months, more than 80 Australian students will study in Bangladesh under the New Colombo Plan,” she said.
Trade and investment between the countries continue to increase, particularly in the agriculture, energy and ready-made garment sectors. The two-way trade is currently worth $1.7 billion annually.
Bishop thanked the outgoing High Commissioner, Greg Wilcock, for his “strong contribution in advancing Australia's interests in Bangladesh since 2012.”