Justin S. Longacre November 16, 2021 
Dhaka, November 16 (UNI) Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Prof. Gamini Lakshman Peiris visited Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Tuesday at the State Guest House Padma at 3:00 p.m. Dr Momen congratulated Sri Lanka’s new foreign minister and thanked him for physically attending the 21st IORA Council of Ministers (COM) meeting despite global health concerns related to COVID-19 . The Foreign Minister also said that Bangladesh attaches great importance to its relations with Sri Lanka, which he described as excellent, based on historical ties, friendship, common points of view and vision. shared prosperity. Recalling the State visit of HE Mahinda Rajapaksa, Honorable Prime Minister of Sri Lanka to Dhaka from March 19 to 20, 2021 on the occasion of the centenary of the birth of the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence, he noted that he was helping to strengthen ties between the two countries.The Sri Lankan Foreign Minister expressed his joy to meet the Bangladesh Foreign Minister. He recalled the recent meeting of the Honorable President of Sri Lanka, HEGotabaya Rajapaksa and Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the sidelines of the CoP-26 World Leaders Summit and said that Sri Lanka’s leaders highly appreciate the recent economic development in Bangladesh. He reiterated the importance of close relations between the two neighbors. He particularly insisted on continued cooperation in sectors such as trade, investment, tourism, connectivity, agriculture, fisheries, education and people-to-people contacts. The two leaders of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka further emphasized on the rapid conclusion of the ACP and improving trade and commerce between the two countries. They stressed the need to further strengthen air and sea connectivity for the greater benefit of both peoples. The Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs called for collaboration in the field of electronic commerce, involvement in the digital sector through the sharing of expertise from Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s foreign minister specifically mentioned Bangladesh’s success in the pharmaceutical sector and urged his Sri Lankan counterpart to import pharmaceuticals from Bangladesh.The two ministers noted the ongoing cooperation within the framework of IORA, maritime cooperation, maritime security, blue economy, climate change, prevention of overexploitation of marine resources, etc. They also pledged to explore possible collaboration between Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University of Bangladesh and National Institute of Oceanographic Sciences of the Sea of ​​Sri Lanka.The Meeting ended on a positive note in a cordial atmosphere.Sri Lankan Foreign Minister is visiting Dhaka from November 15-18, 2021 and is expected to attend the 21st IORA Council of Ministers (COM) meeting scheduled to be held on November 17, 2021.
UNI MAZ RKM 1729
