Rice import from Vietnam to arrive within 15 days, says new Vietnam envoy

The first consignment of rice from Vietnam will arrive in 15 days, the Southeast Asian nation’s new ambassador to Bangladesh has said.

Ambassador Tran Van Khoa made the statement when he called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka on Thursday.

After the meeting, the prime minister's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters.

The envoy expressed satisfaction over the extension of the memorandum of understanding on rice trade between Bangladesh and Vietnam and informed that the first consignment of rice from Vietnam is scheduled to reach Chittagong within 15 days.

In this context, the prime minister said: "We want to preserve extra food to meet any eventuality."

Pointing out Vietnam's socioeconomic development, the prime minister said the Southeast Asian nation achieved remarkable success after the war.

"Vietnam is an example to us and we follow it," she said, adding: "We had to fight for independence like Vietnam."

The prime minister put emphasis on strengthening connectivity and economic cooperation between Bangladesh and Southeast Asian nations.

"Bangladesh and Vietnam could share their experiences in different fields like trade and culture," she said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina meets with the new Vietnam Ambassador to Bangladesh Tran Van Khoa at her office in the parliament. Photo: PID

Describing poverty as the common problem for the developing countries, Hasina called for working together to eliminate the ‘curse’.

"If we work together we can achieve success in this regard," she said.

Appreciating the continuous efforts of Bangladesh in combating terrorism and the adverse impacts of climate change, the Vietnamese ambassador said, "We've many commonalities and we can learn from each other."

Tran Van Khoa praised Bangladesh’s achievement of 7.24 percent GDP growth in the outgoing fiscal year.

The ambassador conveyed the best wishes of Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to the Bangladesh premier.

He also handed Hasina a book depicting the life of Vietnamese communist revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh which also carried ‘unforgettable memories’ of the War of Liberation.

Khoa said both countries had recognised their respective Wars of Liberation and emphasised the exchange of visits by high-level delegations.

The newly appointed envoy said that his task would be to further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries alongside continuing cooperation in various sectors.

PM's Principal Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury and Senior PMO Secretary Suraiya Begum were present on the occasion.

Bangladesh is to import a quarter million tonnes of rice from Vietnam in order to refill after unseasonal downpours inundated Boro rice crops in April.

Official estimates show the lost crops would have yielded about 600,000 tonnes of rice. Unofficial estimates put the number at 2.2 million tonnes of rice.

The government has also slashed import duties and floated new tenders in efforts to bring down local prices.