Sri Lankan President to arrive in Bangladesh today

[Lankan Ranger]

Sri Lankan President to arrive in Bangladesh today

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is to arrive in Dhaka on Monday for a three-day official visit from April 18-20 to hold discussions to enhance bilateral relations.

The special flight carrying the Sri Lankan President is schedule to land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 12:30 p.m. Bangladesh daily The Daily Star reported.

This is Sri Lankan President's first official visit to Bangladesh.

President Rajapaksa is to be received by his Bangladeshi counterpart President Zillur Rahman with 21-gun salutes and a guard of honour by the Bangladeshi armed services.

The President, accompanied by First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, will lead a 54-member delegation comprising External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris, parliamentarians, top civil and military officials and an 11-member media team, the report said.

On arrival, the President is to lay a wreath at National Mausoleum at Savar. He is to hold talks with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office on Monday.

The Prime Minister will host a dinner in honour of the Sri Lankan President and the First Lady, the Daily Star said.

President Rahman will host a state banquet Tuesday in honour of the Sri Lankan President.

Following the talks with the hosts, the President, and his delegation will sign several agreements in the areas of export promotion, business, shipping service, agriculture, fisheries and livestock, education and culture.

Ahead of the visit, Sri Lanka's external affairs ministry has said President Rajapaksa's visit would reaffirm and further reinforce the friendly and warm relations between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka : Sri Lankan President to arrive in Bangladesh today

 

[eastwatch]

Rajapaksa calls for strong political ties

Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Front PageRajapaksa calls for strong political ties
Hasina seeks connectivity as 2 leaders hold official talks; 5 deals inked

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina meets visiting Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa at her office yesterday. Photo: PMO
Unb, DhakaSri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said his country wants “strong political relations” with Bangladesh.

He made the remark during the official talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office in the afternoon.

The two leaders had a 30-minute bilateralmeeting when they observed that both the countries can work together at regional and international forums for mutual benefit.

Briefing reporters, PM's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad said the two leaders have discussed the issue of terrorism and countering terrorism, as well as food security and cooperation in the shipping sector.

Rajapaksa, who arrived in Dhaka yesterday morning on a three-day visit, assured that his country would consider Bangladesh's candidature as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

He also stressed strengthening exchange of visits in different fields including by businessmen between the two countries.

Rajapaksa said he is happy to be in Bangladesh as the two countries have good bonds of relations from a long time.

The cooperation in the shipping sector would help boost the bilateral trade and investment between the two countries, he added.

Hasina emphasised on establishing direct air and maritime links with Sri Lanka to uncap potentiality of the trade between the two friendly countries.

She said trade would be further boosted with the operation of direct shipping services and welcomed the resumption of direct feeder services from Colombo to Chittagong and Mongla.

“Air connectivity and enhanced interaction could also contribute significantly to the increasing trade and investment between the two countries,” she said.

The prime minister said both the countries need to reexamine the existing Air Services Agreement to suit the present needs.

In 2009-10 fiscal year, the two-way trade between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka countries totaled $ 46 million.

Hasina said the amount the bilateral trade is just a fraction of the potential that the two countries have. Currently, Bangladesh exports to Sri Lanka include chemical products, jute goods and knitwear while it imports animal and vegetable products, plastics and rubber articles.

“But potential is there to export pharmaceuticals, potato and vegetable seeds to your country,” she told the president.

The premier sought duty-free access of leather and leather goods, footwear, melamine and plastic products, knitwear, soap and porcelain to increase the volume of trade.

She also said that diversification of export products would give a significant boost to the trade between the two countries.

Hasina put emphasis on encouraging the private sector and apex trade bodies of the two countries to undertake frequent business visits to each others country.

She said there is an immense scope for Sri Lankan investment in textile, knitwear, linen, leather, pharmaceuticals, agro-based industries, steel and engineering, IT, education, and health and hospitality.

Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad, Commerce Minister Faruk Khan and Foreign Minister Dipu Moni were, among others, present.

5 MoUs signed

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka yesterday signed five deals in the fields of trade, agriculture, fisheries, vocational education, and science and culture in a bid to diversify bilateral cooperation.

The Memorandums of Understanding. (MoU) were signed following official talks between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and visiting Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

The five MoUs are on cooperation between the Export Development Board of Sri Lanka and the Export Promotion Bureau of Bangladesh, cooperation between the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock of Bangladesh, cooperation in agriculture between Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council and Sri Lanka Council for Agricultural Research Policy, cooperation between Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Education of Bangladesh, and on Cultural Exchange Programme between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

External Affairs Minister of Sri Lanka Prof G L Peiris signed the deals on behalf of his government while Commerce Minister Faruk Khan, Information and Cultural Affairs Minister Abul Kalam Azad, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdul Latif Biswas, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury and Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid signed the respective MoUs on behalf of Bangladesh government.

Sheikh Hasina and Rajapaksa witnessed the signing.

Earlier, the two leaders had Tete-a-tete followed by delegation level official talks, which covered the entire range of bilateral matters, and regional and international issues of common interest.

According to a press release of the foreign ministry the two sides discussed ways and means to further expand mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, including trade and commerce, investment, civil aviation, shipping, tourism, people-to-people contacts, culture, education, agriculture, fisheries and livestock, health, defence, youth affairs and disaster management.

Both agreed on the need for making greater use of the available institutional mechanisms. They agreed to explore various means to enhance bilateral trade and to increase people to people contacts.

They agreed to establish linkages between universities, other educational institutions, museums etc, and to exchange cultural delegations and cultural troupes to foster greater understanding between the two peoples.

The two sides also exchanged views on cooperation in other regional and international forums including SAARC, BIMSTEC, IOR-ARC, ACD, UN, NAM, Commonwealth, and agreed to continue working together for mutual benefit.

The Sri Lankan president expressed his warm appreciation for Bangladesh's contribution to the International Buddhist Museum at Dalada Maligawa in Kandy.

 

[DesiGuy]

Good luck!!!!

 

[Gonjo]

Welcoming him to Bangladesh.

 

[Lankan Ranger]

 

[ProsperBD]

Bangladesh, Sri Lanka agree to boost trade

Dhaka - Bangladesh and Sri Lanka on Tuesday agreed to boost bilateral trade that both sides said was far below its potential in a favourable political climate.

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed hosted Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Dhaka where four agreements were signed relating to trade, business and cultural exchanges.

'We are going to give a firm structure on the existing facilities to exploit our economic potential,' Sri Lankan Foreign Minister GL Peiris said.

Trade volume between the South Asian neighbours currently totals about 46 million US dollars, officials said.

The visit was aimed at re-establishing shipping links, enhancing air traffic, and eliminating trade barriers.

Bangladesh, Sri Lanka agree to boost trade - Monsters and Critics