Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman met his counterparts from China, Russia, and the US on the margins of the ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Wednesday in the Philippine capital, Manila.
These meetings covered a broad spectrum of bilateral relations, including trade, investment, energy and connectivity, as well as regional and international issues. During these meetings, the Bangladesh side underlined that the ‘Bangladesh First’ policy will guide Bangladesh’s external relations, a spokesman for the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
The adviser to the prime minister for foreign affairs, Mr. Humaiun Kobir, is accompanying the foreign minister.
At the bilateral meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, both sides resolved to advance a comprehensive cooperative partnership to jointly build a China-Bangladesh Community for a shared future. The two foreign ministers discussed further cooperation in regard to the repatriation of forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals, multi-modal transport corridors, trade and investment, and energy cooperation.
During the Bangladesh-Russia bilateral meeting, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov congratulated the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh on his election as the President of the 81st UN General Assembly. Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation in the energy sector.
Later in the afternoon, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio received the Bangladeshi foreign minister and discussed further strengthening US-Bangladesh ties. Foreign Minister Rahman invited Secretary Rubio to visit Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh foreign minister is leading the Bangladesh delegation to the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers meeting and the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation of Southeast Asia.