Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury held talks with Uzbekistan Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev in Samarkand on Tuesday, stressing the need to deepen bilateral cooperation in trade, connectivity and investment.
According to a message received on Wednesday, Khosru visited Samarkand to lead the Bangladesh delegation at the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Governors held from 3 May 3 to 6 May.
Bangladesh Ambassador Mohammad Monirul Islam also attended the meeting.
The finance minister thanked the Uzbek government, particularly President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, for congratulating Prime Minister Tarique Rahman after the formation of the new government in Bangladesh.
Highlighting the historical, cultural and religious ties between the two countries, Khosru emphasised closer collaboration in trade, employment, tourism, culture and people-to-people contact.
He urged Uzbekistan to consider launching direct air connectivity, including resuming flights on the Dhaka-Tashkent route.
Khosru also stressed the importance of opening an Uzbek diplomatic mission in Bangladesh to strengthen bilateral engagement further.
He sought greater market access for Bangladeshi products, including readymade garments, pharmaceuticals and jute goods, and requested easier visa facilities for Bangladeshi businesspeople and tourists.
The finance minister also invited Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time.
Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev expressed readiness to strengthen economic cooperation with Bangladesh and make the partnership more result-oriented.
He stressed the need for the early conclusion of pending bilateral agreements on trade, agriculture and tourism.
Praising Bangladesh’s progress in the textile and pharmaceutical sectors, he said Uzbekistan would send a business delegation to Bangladesh soon to explore investment and trade opportunities.
