PH, Bangladesh urged to explore more partnerships
Top diplomats of the Philippines and Bangladesh see a need to explore further business opportunities in the Information Technology (IT), agriculture, education, and health sectors.
In a seminar to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Philippine-Bangladesh bilateral ties, Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo said that economic relations between both countries had grown steadily over the past few years.
Manalo emphasized that trade between Manila and Dhaka increased from US$48 million to US$105 million in 2021, overcoming the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
He also mentioned the recent US$3.9 million investment made by Bangladeshi BPO company TELSU Inc. and the continuous operation of Filipino manufacturer Liwayway Corp. in Gazipur since 2019.
“I hope that this upward trend in our trade and investment relations will continue and that the full potential of our economic partnership will be realized in the next few years,” the DFA chief stated.
For his part, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr. Abdul Momen agreed with the need to “initiate new collaboration” in agriculture, the digital economy, and education while strengthening cooperation in regional and international forums.
At the same time, Bangladesh Ambassador to Manila Borhan Uddin stated that now is the time to review the countries’ bilateral cooperation in the last 50 years, including what it has achieved and what could be achieved in the future.
