Cambodia is eager to ‘reinvigorate’ bilateral ties with Bangladesh as fellow developing countries enjoying longstanding political relations, reports UNB. Cambodian Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Long Visalo said this while proposing an early return visit by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Earlier, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen extended invitation to his Bangladesh counterpart during his visit to Dhaka in 2014. Bangladesh Ambassador to Cambodia Saida Muna Tasneem during a three-day official visit to Cambodia earlier this week, met a number of senior ministers in the Cambodian cabinet Cambodia keen From Page-16 Col. 8 and discussed the issues, according a message received here from Bangkok on Friday. They discussed ways to strengthening existing cooperation and exploring new areas including strengthening institutional ties between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Commerce, Agriculture, culture, Labour and skills as well as Buddhist Pilgrimage and Tourism. During her meeting with Cambodian State Secretary Visalo, Bangladesh Ambassador proposed that the first Bangladesh-Cambodia Joint Commission headed by the two Foreign Ministers may be held in Dhaka in early 2017. The two sides also discussed ways to work closely on matters of consular access as well as ensuring greater welfare of Bangladeshi supervisors and semi-skilled workers working in the RMG industries in Cambodia. During her meeting with the Cambodian Minister of Commerce, Pan Sorasak, Bangladesh Ambassador proposed creation of a Joint Trade Council at the Commerce Minister levels and a Joint Chamber between the private sectors to boost bilateral trade between the two countries. On the question of investment opportunities, the Cambodian Commerce Minister informed that Cambodia would incentivize and welcome Bangladeshi Cambodia keen to boost From Page-16 Col. 8 investment and technical cooperation in rice mills, halal food industry and IT sector in Cambodia. During the meeting with Cambodian Minister of Labour and Vocational Training, Ith Samheng, Ambassador Tasneem discussed possibility of recruitment of more Bangladeshi semi-skilled labour in the RMG sector in Cambodia and consideration of an MoU on cooperation in the areas of skills training and labour recruitment. During Ambassador’s meeting with the Cambodian Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon the two countries agreed to initiate work to form a Joint Working Group on agriculture, forestry and fisheries under the Agreement on Scientific and Technical Cooperation in Agriculture between the two countries signed in 2014. The Bangladesh Ambassador also called on Cambodia’s Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, Mrs. Phoeung Sakona and the Minister of Cults and Religion, Him Chemm during which both sides agreed to deepen cultural cooperation and exchange visits of cultural and academic specially focusing on Buddhist circuit tourism between Bangladesh and Cambodia. Bangladesh would explore providing seats to Muslim students from Cambodia to study medicine and science in Bangladesh.
