Staff Reporter:
Bangladesh and South Africa have stressed the need to further strengthen bilateral relations through parliamentary diplomacy, including regular dialogue, exchange of experiences and in-creased visits by parliamentary delegations.
The emphasis came at a bilateral meeting between Bangladesh Deputy Speaker and leader of the Bangladesh parliamentary delegation Barrister Kayser Kamal, MP, and Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa Angela Thokozile Thoko Didiza, MP, and Deputy Speaker Dr Annelie Lot-riet, MP, on Monday in Cape Town, South Africa.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC), organised by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA). The conference is being held in Cape Town from September 13 to 19.
During the cordial meeting, the leaders discussed existing relations between Bangladesh and South Africa, expansion of bilateral trade and investment, enhancement of diplomatic contacts, and various regional and international issues of common interest, said a press release of the Par-liament Secretariat yesterday.
Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal underscored the need to increase contacts at both government and private-sector levels to tap the potential for trade and investment between the two countries.
He also stressed the importance of facilitating visits by business delegations and increasing peo-ple-to-people contacts.
The Bangladesh Deputy Speaker urged the South African side to actively consider establishing a resident High Commission in Dhaka.
He said establishing a South African High Commission in Dhaka would facilitate and strengthen diplomatic communication, consular services, trade, investment and people-to-people relations between the two countries.
Members of the Bangladesh parliamentary delegation are Humam Quader Chowdhury, MP; Shaki-la Farzana, MP; and Md Mahbubul Alam, MP. Parliament Secretariat Secretary Barrister Md Golam Sorwar Bhuiyan is serving as secretary to the delegation.
The meeting took place on the eve of the opening ceremony of the 69th CPC.
