Turkey wants to invest in energy sector; Bangladesh for FTA
Fahad Ferdous, UNB Staff Writer
Ankara (Turkey), Apr 13 (UNB) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has expressed his government’s interest in investment in joint ventures in energy sector, particularly oil and gas exploration.
Erdrogan showed the interest during the tête-à-tête and official talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at his office here Thursday evening.
Hasina urged Erdrogan to conclude a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Bangladesh and Turkey to pave the way for materialising the trade and investment opportunities.
Both the countries agreed to deepen their ties in the areas of economy, trade and commerce, culture, and agriculture. They also decided to work together at different international forums for the mutual benefits.
At the talks, the two Prime Ministers discussed the entire range of bilateral relations and agreed to support each other in the UN, and in regional and international forums.
Erdogan praised the achievements of the Bangladesh government in promoting education, rule of law, and democracy under the dynamic leadership of Sheikh Hasina. He hoped that Bangladesh would be a middle income country by 2015.
“We've attached special importance to our bilateral relations. We've agreed to give support to each other’s candidates in multilateral institutions, including the UN Security Council,” Hasina said at a joint press conference after the official talks.
She said the agreements signed would further bolster bilateral relations in economic, commercial, cultural, agricultural, and other fields.
Hasina said Turkey would soon join the International Jute Study Group (IJSG), the only UN organization headquartered in a developing country like Bangladesh.
Turkey would also finance Bangladesh in the construction of several hundred community healthcare clinics, she added. “The two countries have been working hard to explore the full potentials of our bilateral relations in different fields,” she said.
Welcoming Turkish investment in Bangladesh, Hasina said the two countries are working together to achieve the target of at least US$ 3 billion bilateral trade by 2015. This target was set during the Turkish Prime Minister’s visit to Dhaka in 2010.
Hasina mentioned that the Consulate General office has been established in Istanbul this month to cater to the needs of businesspersons and investors from both countries.
During the talks, Turkey has agreed to increase the number of government scholarships for Bangladeshi students and assist in restoring the historical Shahi Jame Masjid at Anderkilla in Chittagong.
Hasina expressed her happiness over the signing of a Sister-City twining agreement linking the spiritual capitals of Konya in Turkey and Sylhet in Bangladesh - the resting places of two great Sufi philosophers - Mowlana Jalaluddin Rumi and Hazrat Shahjalal (RA).
Erdogan expressed his satisfaction that the defense cooperation between the two countries is growing.
After the official talks, Bangladesh and Turkey signed seven instruments to further bolster cooperation in economic, cultural, agricultural, and other fields. The seven instruments include three agreements, two MoUs, one letter of intent and one protocol.
An agreement has been signed for reciprocal promotion and protection of investment and one has been inked for mutual abolition of visas for the holders of diplomatic, service/official, and special passports. The third agreement is on customs cooperation between Bangladesh and Turkey.
Of the two MoUs, one is on scientific and technical cooperation in the field of agriculture, and the other is in cultural, scientific and educational exchange programme.
A letter of intent has been signed between the two countries under which Turkey will join International Jute Study Group (IJSG), the only UN organization in a developing country like Bangladesh.
A Sister-City twining agreement has been signed to link spiritual capitals of Konya in Turkey and Sylhet in Bangladesh - the resting places of two great Sufi philosophers - Mowlana Jalaluddin Rumi and Hazrat Shahjalal (RA).
During the one-to-one meeting with Erdogan, Prime Minister Hasina hailed the Turkish government efforts for strengthening democracy and discouraging unconstitutional takeover.
She said the Bangladesh government also made such act illegal through the 15th amendment to the Constitution.
Hasina admired Turkey’s political, legislative, judicial and administrative steps to institutionalize democracy, human rights, and rule of law that have set up an example in the region.
She hoped that none of the countries would experience military rule in the future.
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, Industries Minister Dilip Barua, Mayor of Sylhet City Corporation Badaruddin Ahmed Qamran, Ambassador at-Large M Ziauddin, Principal Secretary Sheikh Md Wahid Uz Zaman, Agriculture Secretary Manzur Hossain, PM’s Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad and Bangladesh Ambassador to Turkey Zulfikar Rahman were present from the Bangladesh side during the official talks.
Later, the Prime Minister attended a state banquet hosted in her honour by the Turkish Prime Minister at his official residence.
Earlier, on her arrival at the office of the Turkish Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina was given a guard of honour by a smartly turned out contingent of the Turkish armed forces. The national anthems of the two countries were played on the occasion.
Erdrogan showed the interest during the tête-à-tête and official talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at his office here Thursday evening.
Hasina urged Erdrogan to conclude a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Bangladesh and Turkey to pave the way for materialising the trade and investment opportunities.
Both the countries agreed to deepen their ties in the areas of economy, trade and commerce, culture, and agriculture. They also decided to work together at different international forums for the mutual benefits.
At the talks, the two Prime Ministers discussed the entire range of bilateral relations and agreed to support each other in the UN, and in regional and international forums.
Erdogan praised the achievements of the Bangladesh government in promoting education, rule of law, and democracy under the dynamic leadership of Sheikh Hasina. He hoped that Bangladesh would be a middle income country by 2015.
“We've attached special importance to our bilateral relations. We've agreed to give support to each other’s candidates in multilateral institutions, including the UN Security Council,” Hasina said at a joint press conference after the official talks.
She said the agreements signed would further bolster bilateral relations in economic, commercial, cultural, agricultural, and other fields.
Hasina said Turkey would soon join the International Jute Study Group (IJSG), the only UN organization headquartered in a developing country like Bangladesh.
Turkey would also finance Bangladesh in the construction of several hundred community healthcare clinics, she added. “The two countries have been working hard to explore the full potentials of our bilateral relations in different fields,” she said.
Welcoming Turkish investment in Bangladesh, Hasina said the two countries are working together to achieve the target of at least US$ 3 billion bilateral trade by 2015. This target was set during the Turkish Prime Minister’s visit to Dhaka in 2010.
Hasina mentioned that the Consulate General office has been established in Istanbul this month to cater to the needs of businesspersons and investors from both countries.
During the talks, Turkey has agreed to increase the number of government scholarships for Bangladeshi students and assist in restoring the historical Shahi Jame Masjid at Anderkilla in Chittagong.
Hasina expressed her happiness over the signing of a Sister-City twining agreement linking the spiritual capitals of Konya in Turkey and Sylhet in Bangladesh - the resting places of two great Sufi philosophers - Mowlana Jalaluddin Rumi and Hazrat Shahjalal (RA).
Erdogan expressed his satisfaction that the defense cooperation between the two countries is growing.
After the official talks, Bangladesh and Turkey signed seven instruments to further bolster cooperation in economic, cultural, agricultural, and other fields. The seven instruments include three agreements, two MoUs, one letter of intent and one protocol.
An agreement has been signed for reciprocal promotion and protection of investment and one has been inked for mutual abolition of visas for the holders of diplomatic, service/official, and special passports. The third agreement is on customs cooperation between Bangladesh and Turkey.
Of the two MoUs, one is on scientific and technical cooperation in the field of agriculture, and the other is in cultural, scientific and educational exchange programme.
A letter of intent has been signed between the two countries under which Turkey will join International Jute Study Group (IJSG), the only UN organization in a developing country like Bangladesh.
A Sister-City twining agreement has been signed to link spiritual capitals of Konya in Turkey and Sylhet in Bangladesh - the resting places of two great Sufi philosophers - Mowlana Jalaluddin Rumi and Hazrat Shahjalal (RA).
During the one-to-one meeting with Erdogan, Prime Minister Hasina hailed the Turkish government efforts for strengthening democracy and discouraging unconstitutional takeover.
She said the Bangladesh government also made such act illegal through the 15th amendment to the Constitution.
Hasina admired Turkey’s political, legislative, judicial and administrative steps to institutionalize democracy, human rights, and rule of law that have set up an example in the region.
She hoped that none of the countries would experience military rule in the future.
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, Industries Minister Dilip Barua, Mayor of Sylhet City Corporation Badaruddin Ahmed Qamran, Ambassador at-Large M Ziauddin, Principal Secretary Sheikh Md Wahid Uz Zaman, Agriculture Secretary Manzur Hossain, PM’s Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad and Bangladesh Ambassador to Turkey Zulfikar Rahman were present from the Bangladesh side during the official talks.
Later, the Prime Minister attended a state banquet hosted in her honour by the Turkish Prime Minister at his official residence.
Earlier, on her arrival at the office of the Turkish Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina was given a guard of honour by a smartly turned out contingent of the Turkish armed forces. The national anthems of the two countries were played on the occasion.
Comments
No Comments on this News
