Bangladesh, Sri Lanka sign 14 deals after Hasina-Sirisena talks

Bangladesh has signed 14 deals with Sri Lanka after bilateral talks between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President Maithripala Sirisena.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 14 July 2017, 05:01 AM
Updated : 14 July 2017, 07:17 AM

Their meeting began after the Sri Lankan delegation arrived at the Prime Minister's Office at 9:55am on Friday.

Thirteen MoUs were signed for cooperation in coastal shipping, agriculture, higher education, foreign service training, central bank activities, investment, ICT, broadcasting and training on apparel and textile.

An agreement to waive visa for holders of diplomatic and official passports was also signed.

The neighbours are preparing to sign a joint statement, said Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque.

"The joint statement with 35 paragraphs will be issued in the evening or tomorrow. This is the first time the relationship between the countries has been brought within a framework."

The statement eliminates vagueness in ties, said Haque.

"It happened before that we implemented something and later forgot about it. The 14 instruments and a joint statement provides a structure of the ties between the two countries."

The deals address a political relationship besides a business one, he added.   

President Sirisena arrived for a three-day state visit on Thursday, his maiden tour of Dhaka as president.

He is scheduled to meet President Md Abdul Hamid at the Bangabhaban on Friday evening, and take part in a banquet hosted in his honour at the president's official residence.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will also attend the dinner.

Sirisena on Thursday paid tribute to nation's father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum, and visited the National Memorial at Savar.

The Sri Lankan delegation of 73 members has been staying at Hotel Sonargaon.

1. MoU on cooperation in Agriculture

2. MoU between Ceylon Shipping Corporation and Bangladesh Shipping Corporation

3. MoU on cooperation and collaboration in the field of higher education between the University Grants Commissions of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

4. MoU between Bangladesh Foreign Service Academy and Bandaranaike Diplomatic Training Institute in Sri Lanka
    
5. MoU between Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies and Lakshman Kadiragamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies

6. MoU between Central Bank of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh Bank for cooperation in financial sectors/services

7: MoU between Bangladesh Investment Development Authority and Board of Investment Sri Lanka for cooperation on investment matters

8. MoU on Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution and Sri Lanka Standards Institution

9. Agreement on visa waiver for diplomatic and official passport holders and Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

10. MoU on cooperation in the field of Information and Communication Technology

11. MoU on information and broadcasting between Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha and Sri Lankan National News Agency Lankapuvath Ltd.

12. MoU in the fields of radio, film and television

13. MoU on collaboration between Chittagong BGMEA Institute of Fashion and Technology and Sri Lanka Institute for Apparel and Textiles

14. MoU on economic cooperation between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka