Four important agreements have been signed between the Maldives and the Bangladesh, as part of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s ongoing state visit to Bangladesh.
The signing ceremony was held at the Office of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on March 18. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, presided over the signing ceremony.
The first agreement signed during the ceremony was the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Maldives and Bangladesh on the Establishment of the Maldives-Bangladesh Joint Commission on Comprehensive Cooperation. The agreement was signed by the Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid and Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dr A.K. Abdul Momen. The MoU aims to create a joint commission to focus on substantive cooperation in a multitude of settings.
The second agreement signed during the ceremony was the MoU between the Maldives and Bangladesh on the Establishment of Bilateral Consultations. The agreement was signed by the Maldivian Foreign Secretary Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed and Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen. The MoU seeks to strengthen the current bilateral relationship and pave the way for comprehensive and productive dialogue.
The third agreement was the MoU between the Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture of the Maldives and the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock of Bangladesh, on the Establishment of the field of Fisheries and Pelagic Fishing. The MoU was signed by the Minister of Economic Development of the Maldives Fayyaz Ismail, and Bangladeshi Minister of Fisheries and Livestock, S.M. Rezaul Karim. The MoU aims to improve the two countries’ relationship in fisheries and open up a channel for productive dialogue in this area.
The final agreement signed on March 18 was the MoU between the Maldives and Bangladesh on the Establishment of Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP) for 2022-2025. The agreement was signed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid and Bangladeshi State Minister of Cultural Affairs K.M. Khalid.
Before the signing ceremony, President Solih and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office. Following the meeting, bilateral talks were also held between the two countries.