Bangladesh will seek Korean investment for producing new and diverse products in the country as South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon arrived in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon on a three-day official visit to strength bilateral ties and explore new avenues of trade relations.
“We will seek their (Korean) investment for producing new products as they are very innovative in manufacturing diversified goods,” Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said prior to the arrival of the Korean premier, reports BSS.
Mentioning that the Korean EPZ (KEPZ) in Chittagong is yet to be fully utilised, Momen said Dhaka will urge the Korean premier to invest here more by taking full advantage of the KEPZ. “We allocated vast land there (KEPZ) for attracting more Korean companies,” he said.
Besides, Momen said, Bangladesh will also seek Korean technical assistance for further improvement of the country’s ICT sector.
Apart from trade and commerce sector, Bangladesh will also seek Korean support in resolving the Rohingya crisis.
“We will definitely discuses the Rohingya crisis. It’s now became our must-talk issue with everyone… Whoever would come here, we will seek their support to resolve the issue (Rohingya crisis),” he added.
The Korean premier is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with his Bangladesh counterpart Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Prime Minister’s office (PMO) at 4.30 pm on Sunday.
“Numbers of instruments are likely to be signed between Bangladesh and Korea after the bilateral meeting,” Momen said.
The agreements are likely to be signed between Bangladesh Investment Development Authority and Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA); and the Korea National Diplomatic Academy of South Korea and the Foreign Service Academy of Bangladesh, official sources said.
“We will also sign a document for cultural exchange between Bangladesh and South Korea,” Momen said.
Lauding Korean success in financial arena especially in SME sector as well as utilising human resources, the foreign minister said “Korea is very good in managing financial instruments … they never suffered from any economic recession. So, we would like to learn from them in this regards as well,” he added.
Bangladesh rolled out red carpet as the South Korean premier landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport here by a special flight at 5.40 pm this afternoon. Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen received the premier at the airport.
During the visit, Lee is likely to discuss ways of cooperation in the areas of security, trade and investment, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, according to a statement of South Korean Prime Minister’s office.
The Korean premier will start his official visit by showing tribute to the memories of Liberation War martyrs by placing wreaths at the National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar on Sunday morning, Bangladesh foreign ministry’s official sources said.
From the Memorial, he will visit YoungoneHitech Sportswear in Savar EPZ and the National Institute of Advanced Nursing Education and Research at Mugdapara in Dhaka.
After that Lee will deliver a keynote speech to Bangladesh-Korea Business Forum organised by FBCCI and KITA at InterContinental Hotel at noon.
The South Korean Premier is scheduled to call on President M Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban before joining banquet dinner hosted by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon.
Before leaving the country on Monday, the Korean Prime Minister will pay homage to the memories of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreaths at his portrait at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in Dhanmondi.
Foreign minister Abdul Momen will see the Korean premier off at HSIA at 11 am when Lee will depart Dhaka for Tajikistan as he is in a four-nation tour aiming at strengthening Seoul’s ties with Central Asia and Southwest Asia with a balanced diplomacy in the Middle East.
The other two countries are Kyrgyzstan and Qatar.