Speaker invites Italian companies for oil-gas exploration on Bangladesh’s coast

Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Hafiz Uddin Ahmad has said the long-standing friendly relations between Bangladesh and Italy must be taken to a more expanded and strategic level in the future. At the same time he has called upon Italian commercial institutions to work on the exploration and extraction of potential oil and gas reserves in the coastal areas of Bangladesh.

Discussions on these matters were held during a courtesy meeting with Italy’s Ambassador to Dhaka Antonio Alessandro at the Speaker’s office in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Sunday (September 20). Various issues including bilateral relations of the two countries, trade, migration, the Rohingya crisis and parliamentary contacts came up in the meeting.

At the meeting the Speaker said formal relations between the two countries began through Italy’s recognition of Bangladesh in 1972. Friendly relations have been maintained between the two countries since then. Mentioning Italy’s cooperation for Bangladeshi migrants he said Italy is one of the largest markets for Bangladeshi products among the countries of the European Union.

Hafiz Uddin Ahmad further said Bangladesh is again advancing on the democratic path through the latest national parliamentary election. Bangladesh’s relations with the democratic countries of the world are also being strengthened by further strengthening parliamentary democracy. He mentioned that Italy’s cooperation is also important in the case of safe and legal migration. Alongside the Speaker also praised the financial assistance that Italy has been giving to Bangladesh in tackling the Rohingya crisis.

On the context of bilateral trade and defence cooperation the Speaker said Italy is an important commercial partner in Bangladesh’s defence sector. Various types of equipment and machinery of the country are being used in Bangladesh’s market. He also expressed the hope that the economic and strategic cooperation of the two countries will expand further in the future.

On the other hand Italy’s Ambassador Antonio Alessandro mentioning Bangladesh as a long-standing friend said Italy has been giving support to the country’s democratic journey. Italy has interest in further strengthening relations through the formation of a parliamentary friendship group between the parliaments of the two countries and the exchange of visits of parliamentary delegations. He informed that various products including ready-made garments, leather products and ceramics are regularly being exported from Bangladesh to Italy.

Discussions were held at the meeting on the formation of a parliamentary friendship group between Bangladesh and Italy, the solution of the Rohingya crisis, energy security and oil-gas exploration in the coastal region of Bangladesh. At that time the Speaker called upon Italian commercial institutions to invest in Bangladesh for the exploration and extraction of potential oil and gas resources existing in the coastal areas.

Diplomatic representatives of the Italian embassy and concerned officials of the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat were present at the meeting.