The Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s visit to Bangladesh has opened up a new era of bilateral relations between Dhaka and Colombo.
Despite the Covid -19 pandemic, Rajapaksa came to Dhaka on Friday on a two-day official visit to join the celebrations of the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence and the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. We express our gratitude to the Sri Lankan Prime Minister for visiting our country to join the celebration programme amid the coronavirus pandemic.
We think the geographical locations of our two countries provide ample opportunities for us to enhance closer maritime, shipping, trade and people-to-people contacts. Sri Lanka was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the new nation of the People's Republic of Bangladesh in 1971.
We believe the MoUs signed between the two
countries will also take the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka
strategic cooperative partnership to new heights
On Saturday, Dhaka and Colombo signed six Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) to enhance cooperation between the two countries in different areas at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in the capital Dhaka. The MoUs were inked in the presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa after the two sides held delegation-level talks.
We believe the MoUs signed between the two countries will also take the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka strategic cooperative partnership to new heights. This visit will also contribute to the stability and strength of a rapidly diversifying and deepening bilateral relations between the two countries.
We also believe, as a neighbour and a close friend, Sri Lanka will always stand beside Bangladesh to achieve greater freedom and prosperity.
We think both the country’s objectives of economic transformation, eradication of poverty and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals remain key priorities in the middle of great challenges.