Munich, 21 February:
Bangladesh and Australia have the scope to further enhance and diversify their trade and economic
cooperation, especially with the signing of the Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement (TIFA) last
year.
Foreign Minister Dr. A K Abdul Momen and Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne shared this
conviction yesterday at a bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference – 2022 in
Munich, Germany.
The two Foreign Ministers exchanged greetings on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the
establishment of diplomatic relations. They also recalled the exchange of goodwill messages between the
Prime Ministers of the two countries to mark the occasion.
Dr. Momen urged his Australian counterpart to jointly explore ways to increase the volume and
content of bilateral trade. The two Ministers discussed the possibility of organizing a visit by a business
delegation focusing on pharmaceutical exports from Bangladesh. The Australian Foreign Minister expressed
interest in exporting wool for Bangladesh’s apparel industry. The two sides discussed the possibility of
cooperation in both offshore gas exploration and renewable energy.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister requested Australia to provide skills training for increased jobs creation
in the renewable energy sector. Momen reiterated this suggestion on introducing direct flights between the
two countries, particularly for the convenience of Bangladesh expatriates living in Australia.
Dr. Momen also urged Australia to continue to work on finding durable solutions to the Rohingya
humanitarian crisis. Australian Foreign Minister assured of her country’s abiding commitment to this end.
Bangladesh Ambassador to Germany Md. Mosharraf Hossain Bhuyian was present at the meeting.
