Bangladesh and the Maldives agree to work for establishing a direct shipping line between Chattogram seaport and Malé that may open up vast navigation vistas linking the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.
Officials said the consensus came at a high-level Dhaka meet where the Maldives also expressed "keen interest in recruiting specialised professionals and medical doctors" from Bangladesh.
The talks took place when Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen called on visiting Vice President of the Maldives Faisal Naseem at a city hotel on Monday evening, said a spokesperson for the ministry on Tuesday.
The direct shipping arrangement is meant for enhancing bilateral trade, the foreign ministry said, as the two sides emphasised the importance of further deepening their relations.
Mr Naseem lauded Bangladeshi expatriate workers in the Maldives, saying that they are "diligently contributing" to the host economy.
The vice president, leading a delegation, arrived in Dhaka Monday for a three-day official visit on November 22-24.
At the meet, the two sides "reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, discussed ways and means of further strengthening cooperation and exchanged views on regional and international issues".
Dr Momen stated that Bangladesh attaches high importance to relations with the Indian Ocean archipelagic country which are "rooted in shared religion, culture and values".
He thanked the Government of Maldives through the visiting vice president for the gift of 200,000 Covid-19 vaccines for the people of Bangladesh.
The foreign minister assured the vice president of extending necessary assistance in providing medical education, training and skill development in various areas in the Maldives.
The Maldivian leader is accompanied by, among others, two cabinet ministers and the foreign secretary of the Maldives. On the host side, the foreign minister was accompanied by Foreign Secretary Ambassador Masud Bin Momen and other senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
