Dhaka, Ankara to form joint ministerial committees
Dhaka and Ankara have reached an understanding to establish a series of ministerial-level consultation mechanisms aimed at strengthening political, defence and strategic cooperation between the two countries, marking a significant step towards elevating bilateral relations.
In addition, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman extended an invitation to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time.
The developments came during a courtesy call by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the Prime Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tejgaon on Saturday, the final day of the Turkish minister’s two-day official visit to Bangladesh.
During the meeting, Fidan conveyed President Erdogan’s greetings to Prime Minister Rahman and described his visit as the first step towards elevating Bangladesh-Türkiye relations to a strategic level.
According to the Prime Minister’s Press Wing, both sides agreed to institutionalise cooperation through a number of ministerial-level platforms.
These include annual Foreign Office Consultations at the level of foreign ministers and annual “2+2” meetings involving the foreign and defence ministers of both countries.
The two sides also decided to establish a joint consultation committee under the respective foreign ministers, bringing together relevant ministries from both countries to advance political, economic and strategic cooperation.
During the meeting, Fidan conveyed greetings from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and described his visit as the first step towards raising Bangladesh-Türkiye relations to a strategic partnership.
According to Foreign Ministry, a consultation mechanism in the form of a committee would be established under the respective Foreign Ministers which will involve the concerned ministries of each other with a view to further strengthening political, economic and strategic cooperation between the two countries.
The discussions reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, with particular emphasis on the Rohingya crisis, climate change, trade and investment, joint production initiatives, and regional and international issues of mutual interest.
Prime Minister Rahman thanked Türkiye for its continued support to Bangladesh, including its backing of Bangladesh’s candidate for the presidency of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Both sides expressed optimism that the newly established consultation mechanisms would create a structured framework for expanding cooperation across a range of sectors and further strengthening strategic relations.
Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed and the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs, Humaiun Kobir, were present at the meeting.
Fidan arrived in Dhaka from Seoul on Thursday night. During his visit, he held bilateral talks with Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman and travelled to Cox’s Bazar to observe the situation of Rohingya refugees before concluding his visit on Saturday.
