Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, is visiting Bangladesh in April to enhance bilateral ties post-Awami League government’s ouster. This visit will be the first by a Pakistani foreign minister since 2012 and aims to revive diplomatic engagements that had stagnated for years. Discussions include cultural cooperation, trade, and regional collaborations, alongside improvements in traveler mobility between the nations.
Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, is scheduled to visit Bangladesh in April to enhance bilateral relations following the recent political changes in Bangladesh. The previously strained diplomatic ties between the two countries occurred during the 15-year tenure of the India-aligned Awami League government, which lasted until August 2023.
The last visit by a Pakistani Foreign Minister to Bangladesh occurred in 2012, when Hina Rabbani Khar made a brief trip. The previous year, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari participated in the D-8 ministerial conference remotely, highlighting the lack of face-to-face diplomatic engagements.
The visit is part of a broader initiative to improve relations, initiated after calls and meetings between Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The countries plan to resume formal bilateral discussions, including foreign secretary-level consultations last held in 2010 and the joint economic commission which was last convened in 2005.
Recent discussions between Imran Ahmed Siddiqui, the additional secretary for Asia Pacific at Pakistan’s foreign ministry, and Bangladesh’s foreign secretary, Md Jashim Uddin, underscored the necessity of these meetings. They explored various aspects of bilateral cooperation, particularly in cultural initiatives and people-to-people exchanges.
During the meeting, Siddiqui delivered a letter from Ishaq Dar addressed to Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain. Both sides expressed appreciation for recent trade delegation visits and emphasized the importance of reciprocal product-specific delegations. They also reviewed cooperation in tourism, cultural exchanges, and shared concerns regarding forcibly displaced Rohingyas.
Furthermore, they acknowledged the need for enhanced multilateral collaboration through SAARC, OIC, and D-8, and discussed easing visa processes for Pakistani nationals and resuming direct shipping and flights between the countries. The Pakistan High Commission highlighted the positive state of Pakistan-Bangladesh relations, founded on mutual respect and shared values, and affirmed a commitment to ongoing cooperation.
Siddiqui also met with other Bangladeshi officials, including the Commerce Secretary and the Cultural Affairs Secretary, to further promote cooperative engagements between the two nations.
The upcoming visit of Pakistan’s Foreign Minister to Bangladesh represents a significant step toward strengthening the diplomatic and economic relationship between the two nations. Following years of limited engagement, this initiative underscores the commitment of both countries to foster bilateral ties through discussions on cultural cooperation, trade exchanges, and regional collaboration. The easing of visa processes and the resumption of flights further illustrate a positive shift in relations, aimed at mutual benefits.
Original Source: www.thedailystar.net
