Staff Reporter:
Bangladesh and Australia yesterday discussed ways to strengthen military cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries.
The issue came up during a meeting between Australia’s Deputy Chief of Army Major General Chris Smith and Prime Minister’s Defence Adviser Brigadier General (retd) Dr AKM Shamsul Islam at the Armed Forces Division (AFD) in Dhaka Cantonment yesterday.
“During the meeting, the two sides discussed Bangladesh-Australia’s longstanding and friendly bilateral relations, with particular emphasis on strengthening cooperation between the two countries’ armed forc-es,” said an ISPR press release issued here this afternoon.
The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere, the release said.
The two sides exchanged views on enhancing the professional capabilities of their armed forces, bilateral training programs, technical cooperation and strategic communication.
They also stressed greater mutual participation in advanced military training and skills-development pro-grams to address the challenges of modern warfare.
Major General Chris Smith highly appreciated the professionalism and contributions of Bangladesh’s armed forces to United Nations peacekeeping missions.
He expressed interest in further expanding cooperation in advanced training and experience-sharing for peacekeepers to contribute to global peace and stability.
The Defence Adviser thanked the Australian Deputy Chief of Army for the positive progress made in bilateral relations and military cooperation over the years.
He expressed hope that Major General Smith’s visit would further strengthen and deepen professional ties between the Bangladesh Armed Forces and the Australian Army, the ISPR added.
