Dhaka, Ankara pledge to deepen strategic partnership

Bangladesh and Turkiye on Saturday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries as their foreign ministers held bilateral talks in Ankara.

The meeting took place at the office of Hakan Fidan in Ankara with Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman.

Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir was also present, according to a press release from the foreign ministry.

This was the first bilateral meeting between the two foreign ministers since the formation of the newly elected government in Bangladesh.

During the talks, the two sides reviewed the entire range of bilateral relations and discussed ways to further enhance cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

Turkiye reiterated its commitment to maintaining friendly and brotherly relations with Bangladesh in both bilateral and multilateral forums.

The Turkish foreign minister also expressed strong support for Bangladesh’s candidature for the presidency of the upcoming session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The Bangladesh foreign minister emphasised the importance of increasing Turkish investment in Bangladesh and highlighted the potential for expanding the export of skilled human resources from Bangladesh to Turkiye.

Following the meeting, the two ministers held a joint press briefing where they reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the longstanding ties between the two countries. They also exchanged views on several regional and international issues, including the situation in Gaza, and reiterated their support for peace efforts.

To strengthen institutional cooperation in diplomatic training and capacity building, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Diplomacy Academy of Turkiye and Bangladesh Foreign Service Academy.

In honour of the visiting Bangladesh delegation, Hakan Fidan hosted an iftar and working dinner, where both sides continued discussions on various aspects of bilateral cooperation.