Bangladesh-Italy relations

[Maisson]

PM to leave for Italy on Feb 4

Published:  February 01, 2020 17:46:24

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to leave Dhaka for Rome on February 4 on a four-day bilateral official visit to Italy at the invitation of her Italian counterpart Giuseppe Conte.

During the visit, the prime minister will hold bilateral meeting with her Italian counterpart Giuseppe Conte on February 5, a source at the Prime Minister’s office said.

A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the premier and her entourage members will take off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) for Italian capital of Rome in the morning on February 4.

The flight is scheduled to land at Fiumicino Airport, Rome at 4:15 pm local time where Bangladesh Ambassador to Italy Abdus Sobhan Sikder will receive the premier.

After the reception at the airport, a ceremonial motorcade will escort the Bangladesh prime minister to Parco dei Principi Grand Hotel & Spa, where she will be staying during her visit to the Italian capital.

Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to join a community event at Parco dei Principi Grand Hotel & Spa in the evening the same day.

On February 5, she will inaugurate the Chancery Building of Bangladesh Embassy in Rome in Via Dell’Antartide area in the morning.

In the afternoon, the prime minister will hold bilateral talks with Italian premier Giuseppe Conte and join an official lunch at Palazzo Chigi, the official residence of the Italian prime minister.

The two leaders, in their summit meeting, are expected to discuss the whole range of bilateral issues as well as important regional and international matters of common concern.

Later, senior officials of the Italian business companies are expected to call on the Bangladesh prime minister at the meeting room of her place of residence.

The prime minister will then attend a dinner to be hosted by the Bangladesh ambassador to Italy at Parco dei Principi Grand Hotel & Spa.

On February 6, Sheikh Hasina will have an audience with Pope Francis in the morning.

Then the prime minister will depart Rome for the Italian city of Milan by train at 12:50 pm and reach there at 4 pm local time.

She will stay at Excelsior Hotel Gallia during the visit to Milan, the source said.

On February 7, the prime minister will leave Milan Malpensa International Airport for home by an Emirates flight at 1:40 pm local time, reports BSS.

will reach Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka at 8:10 am Bangladesh time on February 8 via Dubai.

Ministry sources said they are considering the visit as highly important as it involves the search for fresh investments by Italian entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, export of more items to Italy as well as seeking areas to export skilled manpower.

Italy is one of the largest trading partners of Bangladesh and more than 200,000 Bangladeshis live there, reports BSS.

[Hasnat Shahriyar Nahin]

During the bilateral meeting on February 5, the foreign minister said the premier Sheikh Hasina is likely to seek more Italian investment in potential sectors of Bangladesh

Foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has said three bilateral instruments between Bangladesh and Italy are likely to be signed during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Rome starting on February 4.

“There are three draft agreements in their hand [Italy] … if they can finalize by this time … those [agreements] will be signed during the visit,” he told journalists at a press briefing on the premier’s visit at the Foreign Ministry on Sunday, reports BSS.

The proposed agreements are on cultural exchange, political consultations and cooperation in the diplomatic field, he added.

The prime minister is set to leave Dhaka for Rome on February 4, on a four-day bilateral official visit to Italy at the invitation of her Italian counterpart Giuseppe Conte.

During the visit, the foreign minister said the prime minister will hold a bilateral meeting with her Italian counterpart Conte on February 5.

Mentioning that a joint statement will be issued after the bilateral meeting, Momen said: “If it is not possible to sign the proposed agreements during the visit, those will be reflected in the joint statement and the instruments will be signed afterwards.”

 

Foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen speaks at a press briefing on the premier’s visit to Italy at the Foreign Ministry on Sunday | PID

 

 

Replying to a query, Momen said Bangladesh and Italy are discussing on bilateral defence cooperation but there is no possibility of any agreement between the two countries in this regard.

During the bilateral meeting on February 5, the foreign minister said the premier Sheikh Hasina is likely to seek more Italian investment in potential sectors of Bangladesh.

Besides, the two leaders are expected to discuss the whole range of bilateral issues as well as important regional and international matters of common concern, he said.

On the same day, top officials of some Italian business giant companies will call on Sheikh Hasina at the meeting room of her place of residence.

Noting that it is the median bilateral visit of the Bangladesh premier after taking over the state power for the third consecutive term, Momen hoped that the tour will be beneficiary for Bangladesh economy and its ongoing development.

The Foreign Ministry is considering the visit as highly important as it involves the search for fresh investments by Italian entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, export of more items to Italy as well as seeking areas to export skilled manpower, he said.

“Italy so far accommodated many of our nationals and more are waiting for getting residence right there … so definitely the issue [manpower export] will be discussed (during the visit),” Momen said.

Italy is one of the largest trading partners of Bangladesh and more than 200,000 Bangladeshis live there.

A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the premier and her entourage members will take off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) for Italian capital of Rome in the morning on February 4.

The flight is scheduled to land at Fiumicino Airport, Rome at 4:15 pm local time where Bangladesh Ambassador to Italy Abdus Sobhan Sikder will receive the premier.

After the reception at the airport, a ceremonial motorcade will escort the Bangladesh prime minister to Parco dei Principi Grand Hotel & Spa, where she will be staying during her visit to the Italian capital.

Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to join a community event at the hotel in the evening on the same day.

Chancery Building of Bangladesh Embassy in Rome to be inaugurated 

Before holding bilateral meeting with her Italian counterpart in the afternoon, the prime minister will inaugurate the Chancery Building of Bangladesh Embassy in Rome in Via Dell’Antartide area in the morning.

On February 6, Sheikh Hasina will have an audience with Pope Francis in the morning.

Then the prime minister will depart Rome for the Italian city of Milan by train at 12:50 pm and reach there at 4pm local time.

She will stay at Excelsior Hotel Gallia during the visit to Milan, officials said.

On February 7, the prime minister will leave Milan Malpensa International Airport for home by an Emirates flight at 1:40 pm local time.

She will reach Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka at 8:10am Bangladesh time on February 8 via Dubai.

 

https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/foreign-affairs/2020/02/02/3-instruments-likely-to-be-inked-during-pm-s-italy-visit

[Maisson]

Dhaka, Rome eye stronger economic partnership with intense ties through EU

Published at 12:20 pm February 6th, 2020
EU support sought for safe repatriation of Rohingyas

Bangladesh and Italy have agreed to further strengthen economic partnership stressing the importance of an ever more intense cooperation between the European Union and Bangladesh in the areas of trade and development.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Italian counterpart Giuseppe Conte acknowledged the importance of the “Everything But Arms” preferential tariff regime the EU has been allowing for Bangladeshi exports towards the European market, reports UNB.

Bangladesh has sought Italy’s support in preferential access of its commodities to EU market even after the country’s graduation out of the Least Developed Country (LDC) group status, according to a joint statement issued on Thursday on the outcome of the bilateral talks held between the two prime ministers on Wednesday.  

Both prime ministers pointed out the importance of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Italy and Bangladesh that will take place in 2022. 

They convened to celebrate the event through a series of cultural events in both capitals, under the aegis of the respective Embassies. 

They also recalled the “Mujib Borsho” (Mujib Year: March 17, 2020 – March 17, 2021) to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Bangladesh’s Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina invited Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte to visit Bangladesh for participating at the celebration of Mujib Borsho. 

Prime Minister Conte warmly thanked her for the invitation. 

EU Support Sought for Rohingya Repatriation

Prime Minister Hasina thanked the European Union, including Italy, for their support to the cause of the Rohingyas. 

She requested continued support of the EU in order to ensure safe, dignified and sustainable return of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas.

Both sides welcomed the International Court of Justice’s decision of January 23, 2020. Prime Minister Hasina called for international community’s support in implementing the decision of International Court of Justice. 

The two Prime Ministers commended the very positive degree of cooperation existing between Italy and Bangladesh within the UN system, where both countries remain traditionally supportive of each other’s candidatures. 

Prime Minister Conte expressed Italy’s appreciation for the Bangladeshi management of the Rohingya crisis. 

He underlined the political and financial support Italy has been delivering through UN agencies to help Bangladesh cope with the humanitarian emergency and encouraged Prime Minister Hasina to continue with the policy of hospitality Bangladesh has followed so far. 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid an official bilateral visit to Italy on 4-6 February at the invitation of her Italian counterpart. The bilateral talks between the two Prime Ministers reflected the positive trend of bilateral relations. 

Positive Trade Trend

The two leaders acknowledged the positive development of bilateral trade exchanges. 

The figures of the last few years show an overall increase of exchanges, firmly over 2 billion Euros. 

Prime Minister Conte recognised the socio-economic progress Bangladesh has made, which aims at bringing the country out of the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group in 2024.

Both sides praised the presence of Italian companies in Bangladesh, including in the textile sector. 

The two leaders expressed their confidence in further consolidating the Italian-Bangladeshi economic partnership, including in the sectors of RMG, pharmaceutical products, light engineering, leather, high tech and both conventional and renewable energy. 

The sector of blue economy was also indicated as an area of mutual interest, also in connection with Italy’s outreach activities towards the Indian Ocean Rim Association – IORA. 

Both leaders recalled the presence of a large Bangladeshi community in Italy, more than 140,000 people, mostly well integrated in the Italian social fabric.

A substantial part of the talks was focused on the ways and means to further consolidate bilateral cooperation on the issue of migration. 

The two prime ministers talked about possible legal pathways for regular migration and fighting against the irregular one. 

Prime Minister Hasina and Prime Minister Conte encouraged the pursuit of the ongoing negotiations concerning several possible bilateral agreements (on cultural exchange programs, political consultations, diplomatic training and defence cooperation). 

Both side agreed to intensify consultations. 

[TigerShark]

I was disappointed that PM didn't sign any defence agreements with Italy. The trips potential was lost.

[sibghat_99]

5 hours ago, TigerShark said:

I was disappointed that PM didn't sign any defence agreements with Italy. The trips potential was lost.

Possibility of a defence agreement was already brushed off before the trip as the draft agreement is on its infancy

[Maisson]

Italy has formally offered the brand new Eurofighter Typhoon and frigates to the Bangladesh Armed Forces during PMs visit to the country earlier this year.