UNB, Dhaka :
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has expressed keen interest to set up deep seaport in Sonadia and a container terminal in Doublemooring, Chittagong through their DP World, a leader in international marine terminal operations and development, logistics and related services.
UAE Minister for Economy Engineer Shaikh Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri conveyed the interest to Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed during bilateral talks held Wednesday at the UAE Minister’s office, according to a Commerce Ministry media release.
Tofail Ahmed thanked the UAE government for their keen interest in recent times to invest in Bangladesh particularly in the ports, sea ports and tourism sectors, and hoped that the UAE side would further explore investing in the thrust sectors like communication networks, energy, power and infrastructural development including aviation in Bangladesh.
The Commerce Minister paid a two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates at the invitation of the UAE Ministry of Economy.
The UAE Minister for Economy, given the opportunities and dimension of the two-way trade, hoped to further work to enhance the bilateral trade and foreign direct investment.
On the issue of investing through Abu Dhabi Fund, the UAE Minister urged the Bangladeshi side to brief the UAE side on the priority sectors with proper studies and projects.
He also mentioned that the cooperation in the area of ports will open up other areas of cooperation as well.
Tofail Ahmed raised the issue of visa complexities for Bangladesh nationals with particular focus on business and labour visa, and urged the UAE authorities to resolve the issues.
He also hoped that the current two-way trade touching US$ 1 billion with Bangladesh exports touching US$ 300 million will be further enhanced if the visa issues are resolved.
The Commerce Minister also portrayed the buoyant economic strides in Bangladesh on the way to achieving the mid-income status by the ‘Vision 2021’ of the government.
Al Mansouri attributed the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the UAE as a historic and brotherly one that has multifaceted opportunities in trade and investment.
He expressed satisfaction at the current growth of bilateral trade and investment, and expressed willingness of his government to invest in various fields including shipping, port and tourism, and other industries.
The UAE Minister for Economy also informed that UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Muhammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum extended an invitation to visit UAE by the Prime Minister that would further expedite and deepen the ongoing bilateral relations.
