Bangladesh requested Indonesia to offer its readymade garments duty-free benefits and not to impose safeguard measures on its textile products.
The request was made in the first-ever Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between the two counties held on Thursday.
Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and Director General for Asia Pacific and Africa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Indonesia, Abdul Kadir Jailani led respective delegations at the Consultations.
The two sides in the meeting comprehensively reviewed the present status of bilateral relation, said a foreign ministry press release.
Bangladesh and Indonesia in the meeting agreed to complete the signing of pending MoUs and Agreements on a fast-track basis, pursue sector specific agenda and do the needful to expand the volume of bilateral trade and investment.
Both sides stressed on early signing of Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) within the ambit of which potential export items from both countries would be allowed to enter duty free, the release said.
With regard to the huge trade imbalance, which is in favour of Indonesia, Bangladesh foreign ministry said that the two countries agreed to exchange business delegations and organise frequent single country and single product trade fairs.
Bangladesh sought market access in Indonesia’s Halal trade and investment from Indonesia in the agro processing.
Foreign Secretary Momen also suggested that the two countries can expand technical cooperation in extraction of marine resources, deep sea fishing and protection of coastal zones.
Both sides agreed to promote cooperation on matters such as combating corruption, counter-terrorism, science and technology, export promotion, defense cooperation, climate change adaptation and mitigation, ethical migration, parliamentary exchange and pursuing sustainable development goals.
It was noted with satisfaction that ordinary passport holders can now visit both countries “free” which stands to contribute immensely to the broadening of the tourism sector.
Bangladesh sought Indonesia’s continued support on Rohingya repatriation and appreciated the last ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting, which also called for early repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar. Indonesia assured to stand beside Bangladesh on Rohingya issue.
