Trade, investment in focus as PM Tarique begins visit to Malaysia, China today
The prime minister will pay the official visit to Malaysia on 21-22 June at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will begin a six-day visit to Malaysia and China this afternoon (21 June), undertaking his first official foreign tour since taking office in February as part of a broader push to strengthen economic diplomacy and regional integration.
The visit is expected to focus on expanding trade and investment ties, attracting foreign capital and advancing Bangladesh's bid to join key regional economic blocs, according to officials.
During the tour, undertaken at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Tarique will hold bilateral meetings and other high-level engagements with leaders and business stakeholders in both countries.
Securing trade alliances and manpower export push in Kuala Lumpur
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During the initial leg of the tour in Kuala Lumpur, Bangladesh will strongly present its bid to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which stands as the world's largest trading bloc.
During a press briefing yesterday, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam confirmed that Dhaka will also strongly advocate for status as a Sectoral Dialogue Partner within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, reports UNB.
Beyond trade, the bilateral talks between the two heads of government in Putrajaya will focus heavily on the recruitment of new Bangladeshi workers, securing better welfare benefits for migrants, and exploring cooperation in the semiconductor, halal economy, and energy sectors.
The nations are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding on cultural cooperation and exchange Terms of Reference to formally launch Free Trade Agreement negotiations.
Additionally, the Bangladeshi delegation will urge Asean member states to play a more active role in the repatriation of forcibly displaced Rohingya citizens back to Myanmar.
There is also a possibility of a meeting between the prime minister and potential investors in Malaysia.
The two prime ministers will hold a joint press conference, and the Malaysian PM will host a luncheon in honour of his Bangladeshi counterpart.
"We believe that this visit will play a very important role in elevating the existing bilateral and economic relations with Malaysia to a new level," said the foreign secretary.
Deepening strategic ties and infrastructure pacts in China
From Kuala Lumpur, PM Tarique will fly to China tomorrow afternoon to attend the World Economic Forum's 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos Forum, in the port city of Dalian.
The international summit, themed "Innovating at Scale," will bring together over 1,700 participants from 90 countries to discuss technological adaptation and global economic trajectories. Following the forum, the diplomatic focus will shift to top-tier state interactions, including a bilateral meeting with the Chinese premier on 25 June and a high-stakes meeting with President Xi Jinping on 26 June.
Officials said Dhaka and Beijing are expected to sign between 15 and 17 bilateral instruments.
These may include 13 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), two agreements, one action plan, and one protocol, the foreign secretary told reporters.
Apart from the prime minister's bilateral meeting with the Chinese premier on Thursday, Tarique will also meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.
The discussions will also address long-term development frameworks, technology transfers, and the critical Teesta River management project before the PM returns home on Friday night.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will begin a six-day visit to Malaysia and China this afternoon, undertaking his first official foreign tour since taking office in February as part of a broader push to strengthen economic diplomacy and regional integration.
The visit is expected to focus on expanding trade and investment ties, attracting foreign capital and advancing Bangladesh's bid to join key regional economic blocs, according to officials.
During the tour, undertaken at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Tarique will hold bilateral meetings and other high-level engagements with leaders and business stakeholders in both countries.
Securing trade alliances and manpower export push in Kuala Lumpur
During the initial leg of the tour in Kuala Lumpur, Bangladesh will strongly present its bid to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which stands as the world's largest trading bloc.
During a press briefing yesterday, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam confirmed that Dhaka will also strongly advocate for status as a Sectoral Dialogue Partner within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, reports UNB.
Beyond trade, the bilateral talks between the two heads of government in Putrajaya will focus heavily on the recruitment of new Bangladeshi workers, securing better welfare benefits for migrants, and exploring cooperation in the semiconductor, halal economy, and energy sectors.
The nations are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding on cultural cooperation and exchange Terms of Reference to formally launch Free Trade Agreement negotiations.
Additionally, the Bangladeshi delegation will urge Asean member states to play a more active role in the repatriation of forcibly displaced Rohingya citizens back to Myanmar.
There is also a possibility of a meeting between the prime minister and potential investors in Malaysia.
The two prime ministers will hold a joint press conference, and the Malaysian PM will host a luncheon in honour of his Bangladeshi counterpart.
"We believe that this visit will play a very important role in elevating the existing bilateral and economic relations with Malaysia to a new level," said the foreign secretary.
Deepening strategic ties and infrastructure pacts in China
From Kuala Lumpur, PM Tarique will fly to China tomorrow afternoon to attend the World Economic Forum's 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos Forum, in the port city of Dalian.
The international summit, themed "Innovating at Scale," will bring together over 1,700 participants from 90 countries to discuss technological adaptation and global economic trajectories. Following the forum, the diplomatic focus will shift to top-tier state interactions, including a bilateral meeting with the Chinese premier on 25 June and a high-stakes meeting with President Xi Jinping on 26 June.
Officials said Dhaka and Beijing are expected to sign between 15 and 17 bilateral instruments.
These may include 13 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), two agreements, one action plan, and one protocol, the foreign secretary told reporters.
Apart from the prime minister's bilateral meeting with the Chinese premier on Thursday, Tarique will also meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.
The discussions will also address long-term development frameworks, technology transfers, and the critical Teesta River management project before the PM returns home on Friday night.
