Pakistan and Bangladesh have committed to expanding and deepening their bilateral cooperation across all areas of mutual interest.
This agreement was made during a meeting between Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser, Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus, held on the sidelines of the D-8 Summit in Cairo today.
The two leaders underscored the importance of aligning efforts to achieve mutually beneficial development goals. They also emphasised the significance of fostering people-to-people contacts and cultural exchanges, including the exchange of artists, sportspersons, academics, and students.
Prime Minister Shehbaz expressed his satisfaction over the recent visit of the Bangladesh cricket team to Pakistan and the concert by a Pakistani artist in Dhaka. The leaders also agreed to enhance cooperation at various multilateral platforms, particularly within the D-8 framework.
In a cordial and friendly atmosphere, the leaders recognised the historical, religious, and cultural ties between the two nations. Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s desire to bolster bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people contacts.
The Prime Minister highlighted sectors for potential economic collaboration, including chemicals, cement clinkers, surgical goods, leather goods, and the IT sector. He expressed appreciation for Bangladesh’s recent initiatives to ease trade and travel between the two countries.
These include the waiving of the 100% physical inspection requirement for consignments from Pakistan and the abolition of a special security desk at Dhaka’s airport for Pakistani passengers. He also thanked Bangladesh for removing the additional clearance requirement for Pakistani visa applicants.
Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the positive developments in bilateral relations and the increasing frequency of high-level contacts between the two countries.
