Bangladesh, Maldives plan to sign PTA to bolster ties

Bangladesh and Maldives have reached a consensus on entering into a preferential trade agreement (PFA) as the two countries aim to bolster bilateral ties with an emphasis on improving connectivity and trade.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 18 March 2021, 04:01 PM
Updated : 18 March 2021, 04:01 PM

The development came in a bilateral meeting between the two sides led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Thursday.

The two leaders held a private discussion at the Prime Minister's Office before the bilateral meeting.

Later, Dhaka and Malé signed four memoranda of understanding, including an effort to form a joint commission for comprehensive cooperation to boost bilateral ties between the countries.

The two leaders reviewed the entire gamut of the relations and agreed to expand mutual cooperation in multiple prospective areas, including trade, commerce and investment, while stressing the need to harness bilateral trade potential to its fullest extent, said Hasina's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim after the meeting.

Bangladesh expressed interest to enter into a PTA within the purview of the WTO provisions, according to him.  The Maldives contingent welcomed the proposal and agreed to give positive consideration to the text of the draft PTA shared by Bangladesh.

The two governments agreed to regularly hold Commerce Secretary Level Meeting (CSLM) to address bilateral trade issues in detail. Both sides aso agreed to expedite the finalisation of the proposed Agreement on Customs Cooperation and the signing of the Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation.

Further, the two leaders decided to establish a direct commercial shipping link between Malé and the three sea ports of Bangladesh through a shipping agreement.

Hasina called upon Maldives to import varieties of world-class products from Bangladesh.

Solih praised Hasina’s visionary leadership and phenomenal success in setting Bangladesh on the path to becoming a developed country by 2041.

He also lauded the contributions that Bangladeshi expatriates are making to Maldives' economy, with Hasina requesting the rapid regularisation of all undocumented Bangladeshi expatriates in the country.

The two leaders agreed to join hands in various multilateral platforms—including in the UN systems and the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) to address the grave risks posed by the climate emergency. Hasina further offered to share Bangladesh’s disaster management expertise with the Maldives.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and his Maldivian counterpart Ahmed Khalil sign a memorandum of understand on the formation of the 'Joint Commission for Comprehensive Cooperation' at the Prime Minister's Office on Thursday, Mar 18, 2021. Photo: PMO

President Solih reiterated Maldives’ support to Bangladesh on the issue of Myanmar nationals massacred and forcibly displaced from Rakhine State, and applauded Hasina’s generous efforts in taking care of more than 1.1 million Rohingya people. He stated that the Maldives had always advocated for their inalienable civic rights, and that his country would press ahead with calls to to bring the Myanmar military to justice over the persecution of the Rohingya.

Dhaka and Malé also inked MoUs on the establishment of bilateral foreign office consultations (FOC), cooperation in the field of fisheries and pelagic fishing and cultural exchange programme for 2022-25.

The two sides agreed to expedite the finalisation of the proposed agreement on customs cooperation and the signing of the agreement on avoidance of double taxation.

Solih arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday on a two-day visit to join the celebrations of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s birth centenary and the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence. Later, he addressed a function at the National Parade Ground.

He later met with President Abdul Hamid at the Bangabhaban on Thursday evening. A 27-member delegation is accompanying the president on the visit.