Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has left for Thailand on a six-day official visit. At the invitation of Prime Minister Sretha Thavisin, the Prime Minister left Dhaka for Bangkok on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10 am today (April 24).
The plane is scheduled to land at Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport at 1:30 pm local time.
In a press conference on Monday on the occasion of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Thailand on April 24 to 29, Foreign Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud said, this is both a bilateral and multilateral visit. The visit is significant for both sides. Because it will open a new window of cooperation between two friendly countries (Bangladesh and Thailand).
During the visit, Bangladesh Prime Minister will hold bilateral talks with Thai Prime Minister Thavisin and attend the 80th session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNSCAP).
The foreign minister said that Bangladesh and Thailand will sign several cooperation documents including a letter of intent to negotiate a free trade agreement between the two countries.
Bangladesh and Thailand are likely to sign visa waiver for government passport holders, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on energy cooperation and two more MoUs on cooperation in the tourism sector and mutual cooperation on customs to expand ties.
The minister said the visit will provide an opportunity to review a possible ‘Free Trade Agreement’ between the two countries to expand trade and increase imports and exports.
During the visit, Hasan said, Dhaka will strongly raise the issue of Bangladesh’s application to become a ‘Sectoral Dialogue Partner’ of ASEAN. He said Bangladesh would reiterate its call to Thailand as a member of ASEAN to play a more active role in the Rohingya repatriation process amid the ongoing political conflict inside Myanmar.
Hasan Mahmud said that since both Thailand and Myanmar belong to ASEAN, the Rohingya issue will be discussed with due importance.
The minister said that the high-level visit will also discuss cooperation in the areas of investment, tourism, energy, land and sea connectivity. He said Bangladesh and Thailand can exploit the immense potential of the tourism sector through joint activities and exchange expertise in human resource development, promotion of Buddhist circuit programs as well as investment in the travel and leisure industry.
The Bangladeshi Prime Minister will hold a private bilateral meeting with Thavisin at Government House (Prime Minister’s Office), attend the signing of documents, attend a joint press conference and then attend a state lunch hosted by the Thai Prime Minister in honor of the Bangladeshi Prime Minister.
During the visit, the Prime Minister will be accompanied by a royal audience of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and Queen Suthida Vajrasudhabimalalakshana at the palace.
The Prime Minister will attend and address the 80th session of UNCAP on April 25. On the same day, UN Under-Secretary-General and ESC Executive Secretary Armida Salsiah Alisjabana will meet with the Prime Minister.
PDS/MAU
