Bangladesh to urge South Africa to open embassy after 6 years

After a gap of six years, Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between Bangladesh and South Africa are scheduled to be held in South Africa on May 21 and 22. Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam will lead the Bangladeshi delegation.

The last FOC between the two countries was held on September 3, 2019 [citation:7]. The upcoming consultations are expected to cover 18 issues raised by Bangladesh, though only two have received responses so far; Dhaka will push for expedited resolution of these pending matters.

A key issue on the agenda will be Bangladesh's request for South Africa to open a full-fledged embassy in Dhaka. Currently, South Africa has only a consulate in Dhaka, with visa operations managed from New Delhi, causing significant inconvenience for applicants. Bangladesh will urge the establishment of a full embassy in Dhaka to ease the difficulties faced in processing visas.

The safety and security of approximately 400,000 Bangladeshi nationals living in South Africa is also expected to be a major topic of discussion.

The FOC will prioritise strengthening political relations, expanding trade and investment, labour market cooperation, agricultural collaboration, and enhancing diplomatic presence between the two nations.