BSS, DHAKA: President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Wednesday received credentials of ambassadors from three countries to Bangladesh separately at Bangabhaban here today.
The three resident ambassadors are – Christian Brix Moller of Denmark, Irma van Dueren of Netherlands and Marcelo Carlos CESA of Argentina.
Welcoming the envoys to Bangladesh, the President said Bangladesh’s foreign policy attaches importance to bilateral and friendly relations with all, President’s Press Secretary Joynal Abedin told BSS after the meetings.
Noting that Bangladesh has always given priority to expanding bilateral relations in terms of trade and investment, President Shahabuddin hoped that bilateral relations with these countries would be further expanded during their tenures in Dhaka.
Terming Bangladesh as a country with huge potential, the President urged the ambassadors to use all possibilities to strengthen trade and commerce ties between Bangladesh and their respective countries.
During the meeting with the Denmark envoy, the President said Denmark was one of the first European Union countries to recognize the independence of Bangladesh.
Mentioning the excellent bilateral trade-investment relations between Bangladesh and Denmark, he said Denmark is one of the partners in the economic development of Bangladesh.
Shahabuddin said Denmark is playing an important role in the development of the Bangladesh’s coastal areas, badly affected due to climate change.
Referring to the prevailing investment-friendly environment in Bangladesh, the President sought Danish investments in various potential sectors, including the country’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs).
The Danish ambassador said his government has been working as a development partner of Bangladesh and this cooperation will continue in the coming days.
Receiving the credentials from Netherlands envoy, the President said Netherlands is one of Bangladesh’s development partners.
He said diplomatic and commercial relations between the two countries are gradually increasing since independence.
The Head of the State said Bangladesh has achieved tremendous progress in the past one and a half decades in various sectors, including communication and women’s empowerment, as a friendly investment situation is prevailing in the country.
He also sought more Dutch investment here.
The ambassador said the Netherlands always attaches great importance to the development of relations with Bangladesh in the days to come.
He said many Dutch investors have already invested in Bangladesh and many more investors are interested in investing in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, President Shahabuddin thanked the Argentine government and people for reopening the new Argentine embassy in Dhaka.
He told the ambassador that Argentina is a very familiar name to the football lovers in Bangladesh and Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi are very popular among people of all strata, including the young generation.
Mentioning that there is considerable investment potentials between Bangladesh and Argentina, the President said, Bangladesh produces various international-standard quality products, including readymade garment (RMG), ceramics and medicine.
The Head of State urged the ambassador of Argentina to take initiatives for increasing the import of these products from Bangladesh.
He also stressed on visit-exchange at the government and private levels to explore the trade and investment potentials of the two countries.
Ambassador Marcelo Carlos CESA told the President that the people-to-people relations between the two countries can be strengthened through the exchange of sports and cultural activities.
Mentioning that the support of football lovers of Bangladesh towards Argentine football is very encouraging to Argentine footballers, the envoy said his country is interested to increase investment in various fields, including sports and cultural arenas.
The envoys highly appreciated the socio-economic development of Bangladesh and sought the President’s necessary cooperation in fulfilling their respective responsibilities.
Secretaries to the President’s office and Foreign Ministry officials concerned were present at the meetings.
On their arrivals at Bangabhaban, a horse-mounted contingent of the Presidential Guard Regiment (PGR) gave a guard of honor to the ambassadors as part of the ceremony.
They also visited the ‘Bangabhaban Toshakhana’.
