FM holds bilateral meetings with five counterparts

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman has held bilateral meetings with several counterparts on the sidelines of the OIC executive committee meeting on Palestine in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The meetings focused on reaffirming Bangladesh's firm stance on the Palestinian issue and intensifying diplomatic efforts.

Meeting with Pakistan
Dr Khalilur Rahman met Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar. Ishaq Dar reminisced about his meeting with late prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia last year. He informed that Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is keen to visit Dhaka to convey greetings to Bangladesh's Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. He expressed hope that bilateral relations will further strengthen under the new government.

Meeting with Turkiye
During the meeting with Turkey's Deputy Foreign Minister Musa Kulaklikaya, both sides highlighted the historic ties between Bangladesh and Turkey and agreed to enhance cooperation in various sectors. Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur thanked Turkey for its continued support for the Rohingyas. Both sides committed to working together for a swift resolution to this crisis. Khalilur Rahman extended an invitation to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to visit Bangladesh after Ramadan.

Meeting with Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia's Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed A Elkhereiji expressed hope that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will visit Saudi Arabia soon. He also invited Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman to visit Riyadh, noting that Saudi Arabia's 'Vision 2030' has created significant opportunities for Bangladesh. Dr Khalilur highlighted the bright prospects for Saudi investment in Bangladesh. Both sides agreed to work together to realise these opportunities. Elkhereiji also sought Bangladesh's support for reform initiatives to enhance the effectiveness of the OIC secretariat.

Meeting with Palestine
In the meeting with Palestine's Foreign Minister Dr Varsen Ohanes Vartan Aghabekian, Dr Khalilur reaffirmed Bangladesh's unwavering support for the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital based on pre-1967 borders. Palestine's foreign minister appreciated Bangladesh's consistent support and assured that the Arab-Islamic bloc would support Bangladesh's candidature for the UN General Assembly presidency.

Meeting with Gambia
During the meeting with Gambia's Foreign Minister Serign Modou Njie, who chaired the executive committee meeting, Dr Rahman thanked Gambia for its continued support on the Rohingya issue, particularly expressing gratitude to the Gambian government for pursuing the genocide case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice. Both countries agreed to jointly organise an event on the Rohingya issue at the OIC foreign ministers' council meeting scheduled for April in Baghdad. Njie also assured support from African nations for Bangladesh's candidature for the UN General Assembly presidency.

During the meetings, world leaders congratulated Tarique Rahman on BNP's absolute victory in Bangladesh's national election and his assumption of office as Prime Minister. They expressed hope that political stability will prevail in Bangladesh under his leadership and development momentum will accelerate. The leaders praised Bangladesh's steadfast support for the Palestinian cause and expressed full backing for Bangladesh's candidature for the presidency of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir was present at the meetings.