Published : 27 Feb 2023, 11:56 PM
Updated : 28 Feb 2023, 12:10 AM
Argentina has reopened its embassy in Dhaka after 45 years and signed a football cooperation deal much to the delight of Bangladeshi fans of World Cup winners Lionel Messi and Co.
Nearly 100 people, some in Argentina’s iconic pale blue and white jersey, gathered outside the new embassy at Banani on Monday to watch on the big screen Messi and his teammates’ skills during the Qatar World cup.
Across the street, Argentina’s visiting Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero and Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam hoisted the South American country’s flag.
“What the World Cup showed, what Bangladesh’s love for Argentina showed is that especially in this time of uncertainty and war, is the need to strengthen the global south, the need to put the dignity of people at the forefront,” Cafiero said.
Bangladesh entered diplomatic relations with Argentina in 1972 and an embassy was set up in Dhaka. But the South American country shut it down in 1978.
Last year, Argentina said they decided to reopen an embassy in Bangladesh to advance trade growth and diversify exports.
In the second week of December, Cafeiro held a meeting with Momen in New York with all eyes on the culmination of the FIFA World Cup.
The Argentine foreign ministry at that time said with the reopening of the embassy and its consular section, Argentina “seeks to exploit the potential of the bilateral relationship, mainly in the commercial aspect”.
Despite the closure of the embassy, culture, sports, football and literature kept alive this relationship between Bangladesh and Argentina, Cafiero said after inaugurating the new embassy.
“What is it that happened throughout this time that the people of Bangladesh decided to continue to raise Argentina’s flag, to continue cheering for its national team? Why is it that in the least expected of places Bangladesh began to show its love for Argentina?”
“This is because the people never forget, the people of Bangladesh never forgot and decided to show the world its love for Argentina and that is why today we humbly come to carry out an act of justice and reopen the embassy of Argentina as a new channel to continue to cement our relations,” the Argentina foreign minister said.
“Of course, there will be trade relations, economic relations that we need to build and expand. In fact, I am being accompanied [on] this visit by 20 Argentine businesspersons. They will be holding meetings today and tomorrow,” he said.
Shahriar described it as a historic and joyous moment.
He noted Bangladesh has millions of fans of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona and incumbent captain Messi.
“I think this is one of the greatest examples of how people can inspire respective governments in establishing political, diplomatic and economic ties. And in almost no time, both the foreign offices worked really closely here and in Buenos Aires and also from Delhi.”
“Bangladesh and Argentina share a special bond that goes beyond politics and diplomacy. Millions of Bangladeshis supported the Argentine national football team during the World Cup and this has brought our people closer together. People of these two friendly nations are bonded by hearts despite their geographical distance,” he said.
Cafiero later met Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and they witnessed the signing of a deal on cooperation in football.
Young Bangladeshi footballers will get the opportunity to have training in Argentina under the deal, according to Momen. “We’ll learn their techniques. I hope we will be nearly as skilled as them in football.”
