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Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin on Tuesday invited Azerbaijan's investment in Bangladesh, particularly in the areas of apparel, leather, light engineering, agro-food processing, petroleum, ICT, pharmaceuticals, and renewable energy.
Additionally, he requested to recruit more skilled and semi-skilled workforces from Bangladesh and offer more scholarships for Bangladeshi students who aspire to pursue higher studies in Azerbaijan.
Bangladesh and Azerbaijan held the second round of bilateral consultations in Dhaka and both sides agreed to sign a few memoranda of understanding covering various areas, including trade, investment, energy, air connectivity, training, and visa exemption for diplomats and government officials.
The two sides also consented to establish a Joint Working Group on trade to facilitate regular dialogue and expand bilateral trade.
The consultations were co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elnur Mammadov.
During the consultations, both sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction with the growing momentum in political, economic, cultural and multilateral cooperation.
Key areas of discussion included, inter alia, trade and investment, energy cooperation, education and cultural exchanges, and collaboration in regional and multilateral fora, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Foreign Secretary highlighted the Chief Adviser's visit to Baku to attend the COP29 climate conference in November last year, and appreciated Azerbaijan's leadership role in advancing the global climate agenda.
He also mentioned the foreign adviser's online participation in the 7th Ministerial Council Meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia held in Baku last December.
Referring to the discussion held between the Chief Adviser and the Azerbaijani President in November 2024 in Baku, the Foreign Secretary reiterated the need for opening a diplomatic Mission of Azerbaijan in Dhaka.
He requested finding a suitable alternative to permanently resolve the ongoing visa problem for Bangladeshis who wish to travel to Azerbaijan.
The foreign secretary further put forth the proposal of introducing new direct flights connecting Dhaka and Baku.
Deputy Minister Mammadov briefed the Foreign Secretary on the ASAN and DOST service delivery models that have revolutionised public service provision in Azerbaijan.
In response, the foreign secretary asked to explore the possibility of running a pilot project in some parts of Bangladesh under a joint venture.
The Deputy Foreign Minister also called on the Chief Adviser and the Foreign Adviser and apprised them of the outcome of the bilateral consultations.
An eight-member Azerbaijani delegation is on an official visit to participate in the bilateral consultations.
The visiting delegation also took part in a roundtable discussion on investment opportunities in Bangladesh at the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority.
The next round of bilateral consultations between Bangladesh and Azerbaijan will take place in Baku at a mutually convenient time.