Cambodia keen to reinvigorate ties with Bangladesh: Embassy

Phnom Penh is eager to “reinvigorate” its ties with Dhaka, the Bangladesh embassy has said after the ambassador’s meeting with some Cambodian ministers.

Ambassador Saida Muna Tasneem, based in Thailand and concurrently accredited to Cambodia. paid a three-day official visit to the country, where she met the state minister for foreign affairs, and the ministers for labour and vocational training, agriculture, commerce and culture, besides others.

“As fellow developing countries enjoying longstanding political relations, Cambodia is eager to reinvigorate bilateral ties with Bangladesh”, state minister for foreign affairs Long Visalo told her, the embassy said on Friday.

The visit was aimed at strengthening existing cooperation between Dhaka and Phnom Penh and exploring new areas, including strengthening institutional ties between the ministries of foreign affairs, commerce, agriculture,  culture, labour and skills as well as focusing on Buddhist pilgrimages and tourism.

The ambassador proposed that the first Bangladesh-Cambodia Joint Commission headed by the foreign ministers of the two countries be held in Dhaka in early 2017.

Visalo proposed an early return visit by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as per an earlier invitation extended by Prime Minister Hun Sen during the latter’s visit to Dhaka in 2014.

During the meeting, the two sides also discussed ways of working closely on matters of consular access as well as ensuring greater welfare of Bangladeshi supervisors and semi-skilled workers working in the RMG sector in Cambodia.

Commerce Minister Pan Sorasak referred to the trade agreement between Bangladesh and Cambodia.

He proposed the creation of a Joint Trade Council at the commerce ministers’ level and a Joint Chamber between the private sectors to boost bilateral trade between the two countries.

Bangladesh, which enjoys a $2 million positive balance of trade with Cambodia, is keen to expand its market in pharmaceuticals, ceramics, diversified jute products, and electronics, the ambassador said.

She also discussed the possibility of recruitment of more Bangladeshi semi-skilled labourers in the RMG sector in Cambodia during her meeting with the labour and vocational training minister.

During her visit, the embassy said, officials accompanying her from Bangkok organised consular services for expatriate Bangladeshis living in Cambodia and exchanged views with them regarding their immigration interests and welfare in Cambodia.