Dhaka, 09 December 2018

The first ever bilateral Political Consultations between Bangladesh and Portugal was held in Lisbon on 06 December 2018 with the agreement to have enhanced cooperation to deepen and widen the existing bilateral relations for mutual benefits of the two countries.

Secretary Bilateral & Consular of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh Ambassador Kamrul Ahsan led the Bangladesh side while Director General of Foreign Policy of Portuguese Foreign Ministry Ambassador Pedro Sanchez Da Costa Pereira led the respected sites.

The discussions covered the entire gamut of Bangladesh – Portugal relations including trade and investment, power and energy particularly renewable energy, blue economy and maritime resources, tourism and culture, employment opportunity for Bangladeshi workforce, regional and international issues such as Brexit, Rohingya, climate change, and other issues of mutual interest.

The Portuguese side congratulated Bangladesh on the impressive socio-economic development including economic growth, empowerment of women, gender parity and appreciated Bangladesh’s important humanitarian role in hosting over one million forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals in Bangladesh. Referring to the ongoing mega projects in Bangladesh, Portuguese side expressed their interest to take part in the upcoming projects particularly in infrastructure, ICT, power and renewable energy sectors.

The two sides agreed to hold regular political consultations and regular exchange of visits at all levels including political, business, civil society and people’s group to boost up relations between the two countries.