Argentine FM Cafiero to visit Bangladesh for inaugurating new embassy

Argentina will reopen its embassy in Bangladesh on 27 February, announced the Latin American country's Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero. 

He is expected to travel to Bangladesh to inaugurate Argentina's embassy in the capital, Dhaka, and develop a trade promotion and investment agenda in the country, reports Argentine English daily Buenos Aires Herald.

Cafiero confirmed the decision to Sadia Faizunnesa, Bangladesh's ambassador to Brazil, in a meeting at Palacio San Martín,  Argentina, last Friday.

Bangladeshi trade officials and Argentine businesspersons also attended the meeting. 

Cafiero's trip will be the first time a South American Foreign Minister has made an official visit to Bangladesh, where the Argentine embassy was closed back in 1978.

The Argentine foreign ministry hopes to develop bilateral ties focused on international trade, diversifying Argentina's export offering, which is currently centred on oils, cereals, flours and soy pellets, to cater to the growing demand of the Bangladeshi market. 

Bangladesh came into the spotlight for many Argentines during the World Cup, when they saw viral social media videos showing Bangladeshi fans' massive outpouring of love and support for Argentina's national football team, the Albiceleste.

In return, Bangladesh flags were spotted during celebrations of the world championship win in Buenos Aires. 

While the announcement made by the foreign ministry of Argentina does not specifically mention the World Cup, it does mention that the two countries will seek to cooperate in sports, as well as satellites, humanitarian aid and disaster management. 

Bilateral trade is currently around $900 million, mostly goods exported from Argentina to Bangladesh, but "there is still great potential for commercial expansion, considering Argentina is positioned as a strategic and reliable provider of food and energy," according to the Argentine ministry. 

Bangladesh imports large quantities of agricultural commodities such as wheat, oil, sugar, lentils and cereals, and expects a reliable supply of these and other products through direct buying as part of a state plan to subsidise food for 10 million people. 

The plan is coordinated by the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB.

The Bangladeshi delegation included the Secretary of the Trade Minister Tapan Kanti Ghosh and TCB officials. 

Meanwhile, from the Argentine side were present, Guillermo Merediz, undersecretary for Trade and Investment Promotion, Claudio Rozencwaig, undersecretary for Foreign Policy, representatives from the Chamber of Edible Oil Industries, the Argentine Chamber of Trade and Services, and the National Institute of Yerba Mate.