Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman held a series of bilateral meetings with key counterparts on the sidelines of the OIC Executive Meeting on Palestine in Jeddah, reaffirming Bangladesh’s stance on Palestine and boosting diplomatic engagement.
The Foreign Minister met Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar of Pakistan, Vice Foreign Minister Waleed A. Elkhreiji of Saudi Arabia, Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkey Musa Kulaklikaya, Foreign Minister Dr Varsen Ohanes Vartan Aghabekian of Palestine, and Foreign Minister Sering Modou Njie of Gambia, who chaired the Executive Meeting.
The leaders congratulated Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s electoral victory and his assumption of office, expressing confidence that Bangladesh would achieve political stability and accelerated development under his leadership.
They commended Bangladesh’s steadfast support for the Palestinian cause and expressed full backing for Bangladesh’s candidature for the presidency of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
During his meeting with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Dar recalled his meeting last year with late Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia and conveyed that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif looks forward to visiting Bangladesh to greet Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
He expressed hope that bilateral relations would further strengthen under the new government in Dhaka.
In talks with the Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister, both sides underscored the historic ties between the two countries and agreed to expand cooperation across multiple sectors.
Dr Rahman thanked Turkey for its continued support for Rohingyas and both sides resolved to work together for an early resolution of the crisis.
The Foreign Minister handed over an invitation letter to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to visit Bangladesh after Ramadan.
The Saudi Vice Foreign Minister expressed hope that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would visit the Kingdom soon and invited Dr Rahman to Riyadh.
He noted that Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 offers significant opportunities for Bangladesh, while Dr Rahman highlighted prospects for Saudi investment in Bangladesh.
Both sides agreed to work jointly to realise these potentials.
Elkhreiji also sought Bangladesh’s support for reform initiatives aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the OIC Secretariat.
In his meeting with the Palestinian Foreign Minister, Dr Rahman reiterated Bangladesh’s unwavering support for the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The Palestinian Foreign Minister lauded Bangladesh’s consistent support and conveyed that the Arab-Islamic bloc would back Bangladesh’s UNGA presidency bid.
Meeting Gambian Foreign Minister Sering Modou Njie, Dr Rahman thanked Gambia for its continued support for the Rohingya cause, including its case before the International Court of Justice against Myanmar over alleged genocide.
Both sides agreed to hold an event on the Rohingya issue during the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Baghdad in April.
Njie assured support from African countries for Bangladesh’s UNGA candidature.
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabi was also present during the meetings.
Source: BSS