PM invites S Korean President to visit Bangladesh
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday invited the South Korean President to visit Bangladesh as the two countries moved closer to signing a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) to boost trade, investment and economic cooperation.
The invitation was extended when South Korea’s Minister for Trade, Han-Koo Yeo, paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister at his office in the Cabinet Division of the Secretariat, Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Hossain Shadhin said.
During the meeting, the South Korean minister briefed the Prime Minister on the proposed CEPA, saying the agreement would significantly expand bilateral trade and economic cooperation while encouraging greater South Korean investment in Bangladesh.
He said many South Korean companies are already operating successfully in Bangladesh, while many others have expressed interest in investing in the country.
Tarique Rahman urged South Korean companies to invest in Bangladesh’s toy manufacturing, electronics, telecommunications, automobile, semiconductor and shipbuilding sectors.
He said South Korea’s expertise in shipbuilding, combined with Bangladesh’s promising workforce, offers significant opportunities for cooperation.
The Prime Minister suggested that South Korea could establish training centres in Bangladesh to provide technical and language training for Bangladeshi workers before employing them in its shipbuilding industry.
He also said the Bangladesh government will extend the necessary support if South Korean companies invest in the country’s shipbuilding sector.
During the meeting, the Bangladesh side also informed the South Korean minister of the plans to organise a seminar involving South Korean companies to showcase investment opportunities in Bangladesh.
The Prime Minister also mentioned various measures taken by the government to improve the country’s investment climate.
Han-Koo YEO said Bangladesh’s latest initiatives will further strengthen bilateral ties and create new opportunities for economic cooperation between the two countries.
Commerce, Industries, Textiles and Jute Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, Prime Minister’s Finance and Planning Adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Executive Chairman Ashik Chowdhury, among others, were present.
