Bangladesh and Bhutan today agreed to deepen bilateral trade and private-sector cooperation, expand product coverage under their Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and explore the possibility of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

The issues figured prominently at the Fourth Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between Bangladesh and Bhutan held in Dhaka, said a foreign ministry’s statement here. 

Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam and his Bhutanese counterpart Pema Lektup Dorji co-chaired the consultations.

The meeting, held in a warm, cordial and constructive atmosphere, reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest.

Both sides reaffirmed the longstanding bonds of friendship, trust and mutual respect between the two countries and expressed satisfaction over steady progress in bilateral cooperation.

The two sides reviewed cooperation in political affairs, trade and investment, connectivity, education, health, culture, tourism, agriculture and people-to-people exchanges.

They agreed to further strengthen high-level political engagements and regular consultations between the two governments, while stressing the need to translate existing goodwill and political understanding into tangible benefits for the peoples of both countries.

The two sides also reiterated their commitment to expanding cooperation in culture, tourism, agriculture, human resource development, academic collaboration, institutional linkages, youth exchanges and sports.

Bangladesh expressed its support for and interest in Bhutan's Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) initiative and welcomed its potential to contribute to sustainable development, regional connectivity and shared prosperity.

Dhaka also expressed interest in exploring opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation under the initiative.

Bangladesh reiterated its commitment to expedite the operationalisation of the Bhutanese Special Economic Zone in Kurigram.

The two sides also exchanged views on strengthening regional cooperation under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) to promote greater regional integration.

Both sides expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the fourth FOC and reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening the close and mutually beneficial partnership between Bangladesh and Bhutan.

The next round of Foreign Office Consultations will be held in Thimphu at a mutually convenient date.