Argentina keen to reopen embassy in Bangladesh next year Lionel Messi will be invited

Diplomatic Correspondent :
The Argentine government has expressed its keen interest to reopen an embassy in Dhaka next year in a bid to strengthen the brotherly ties between the two nations manifested by the passionate support to the Argentine Football Team in the recently concluded FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Foreign ministry said that the opening of the Argentine embassy would take place when the Argentine Foreign Minister visits Bangladesh in March next year.
During that time, Bangladesh would invite the Argentine football team and football legend Lionel Messi to shower the hospitality of Bangladesh.
According to the Bangladesh Embassy in Brazil, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez wrote a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina saying that the brotherly ties between the two countries would be strengthened with the opening of an Argentine embassy in Dhaka next year.
It is mentionable that Bangladesh maintains an Ambassador, Sadia Faizunnesa, to Argentina who is resident in Brazil.
Argentina’s President, on 20 December, personally thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the people of Bangladesh for their passionate support to the Argentine Football Team the eventual world champions beating France in the 2022 FIFA World Cup held in Qatar.
The people and the President of Argentina were overwhelmed by the massive support and celebrations in Bangladesh for the Argentine football team. Such heartfelt support by the
Bangladeshi fandom drew international media coverage as well. The President in the letter also said, “Sports are a meaningful and powerful means of fostering bonds and harmony among people.”
Foreign ministry said that the opening of an Argentine embassy would enhance the people to people connectivity to exchange and share the culture and history of the two nations.
Apart from this, with the reopening of the Embassy, it would help exploit the potential of the bilateral relation, mainly in the commercial aspect, which has a wide potential for growth, seeking to diversify trade and the Argentine exportable offer.
As Bangladesh has huge demand for soybean oil, the opening of the embassy would help import soybean from Argentina which is the second-largest soybean-producing country in South America.
Last year, Argentina exported products – mostly wheat, corn, and by-products of soybeans – worth $ 876 million to Bangladesh, a record high that resulted in a $ 862 million trade surplus for the South American nation.
In July, Argentina informed Bangladesh that the South American country is open to exporting soybean, beef and fertilizer to Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Thursday said that he had received an email on Thursday morning about the Argentine Foreign Minister’s visit to Bangladesh.
“I received an email this morning about the Argentine Foreign Minister’s visit by March next year. It’s good news. We have a good relationship with Argentina. All intellectuals of Latin America including Argentina support the cause of Bangladesh in 1971,” he added.
Appreciating the move to open the Embassy, Dr Momen said that he would extend his cordial invitation to Lionel Messi and the rest of his football team to make acquaintance with Bangladesh’s diehard fans.
“Messi will be invited to Bangladesh accompanying the Argentine foreign minister. We want to shower Messi with the utmost hospitality of our country,” the Foreign Minister said.
‘Diplomacy of sports plays a very useful role in strengthening relations with other countries,” he added.