Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman on Wednesday said the government’s “Bangladesh First” policy will guide the country’s foreign relations as he held separate bilateral meetings with his Chinese, Russian and US counterparts in Manila.
The meetings were held on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in the Philippine capital, according to a foreign ministry press release.
Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir accompanied Khalilur Rahman during the engagements.
The discussions covered a wide range of bilateral issues, including trade, investment, energy and connectivity, along with key regional and international matters.
During the meetings, the Bangladesh side highlighted that the “Bangladesh First” policy would remain the guiding principle of the country’s external relations, with a focus on protecting national interests while engaging with global partners.
In the meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the two sides agreed to advance their comprehensive cooperative partnership towards jointly building a China-Bangladesh Community with a Shared Future.
The two foreign ministers discussed cooperation on the repatriation of forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals, multimodal transport corridors, trade and investment, and energy.
During a separate Bangladesh-Russia meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov congratulated Khalilur Rahman on his election as president of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The two sides reviewed existing areas of cooperation and agreed to further strengthen collaboration, particularly in the energy sector.
Later in the afternoon, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Khalilur Rahman for talks on strengthening Bangladesh-US relations.
During the meeting, Khalilur invited Rubio to visit Bangladesh. The US secretary of state also congratulated him on his election as president of the 81st Session of the UNGA.
The high-level meetings with China, Russia and the United States reflected Bangladesh’s efforts to expand cooperation with major global powers while pursuing its national interests under the “Bangladesh First” foreign policy approach.
Khalilur Rahman is leading the Bangladesh delegation to the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and events marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.
