International Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister Dr. Gowher Rizvi has said Bangladesh and Iran enjoy excellent bilateral relations on the political front while much more needs to be done to realize the economic potentials that still remain untapped.
Dr Rizvi said this during his meeting with the Iranian Foreign Minister Dr. Javad Zarif in Tehran Monday afternoon, according to a press release issued by External Publicity Wing of the ministry of Foreign Affairs here today.
During the meeting, both the sides agreed to take forward the decisions reached at the 5th Joint Economic Commission meeting held in May 2013 in Dhaka. They underscored the need for forging greater ties between the private sectors of the two countries.
At the Bangladesh Adviser’s suggestion, the Iranian Foreign Minister expressed his willingness to visit Bangladesh in the near future to add further momentum to the bilateral relations.
Dr. Rizvi is in Tehran to attend an emergency meeting of the NAM Committee on Palestine of which Bangladesh is a member.
The Iranian Foreign Minister appreciated his intervention at the meeting and commended Bangladesh’s abiding commitment to the work of this important NAM Committee.
Dr. Rizvi thanked Iran’s foreign minister for convening the emergency meeting and reaching consensus on an action-oriented outcome document that should give the NAM Member States choice of options to firmly stand by the Palestinian people and denounce the continued Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip.
They expressed dismay at the inability of the international community to restrain Israel from its latest atrocities resulting in indiscriminate killing of civilians, including women and children.
The Iranian Foreign Minister also briefed the Bangladesh Adviser about the latest developments with the implementation of the Joint Plan of Action reached between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany on Iran’s nuclear programme last year.
Dr. Rizvi reiterated Bangladesh’s hope for a long-term, mutually agreed and comprehensive solution to emerge through the process.
Bangladesh Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran Khandakar Abdus Sattar was present at the meeting.
