State Minister addresses Lisbon conference on Bangladesh-Portugal ties
State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam MP recently drew on the historic contact between the Bangalees and Portuguese that forms the basis of friendly relation between the two countries at a seminar In Lisbon.
The seminar was jointly arranged by Diplomatic Institute of Portugal and Macau Scientific and Cultural Center on the theme of "Exploring deeper Portugal-Bangladesh Relationship" Friday (27 May), reads a press release.
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs & Cooperation of Portugal Francisco André; Bangladesh Ambassador in Lisbon Tarik Ahsan and Professor José Mapril also spoke on the occasion.
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After opening remarks by the President of Macau Centre Prof Carmen Amado Mendes, a documentary containing recorded video messages from world leaders on the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh's independence was screened.
Presenting a paper on the seminar's theme, Bangladesh State Minister identified bilateral trade, connectivity, blue economy, climate action, knowledge partnership, migration & mobility and people-to-people contact as priority areas, where the two countries can cooperate meaningfully.
He looked forward to such a productive partnership in the coming days and remarked, "It is indeed time for us to open our bilateral ties from the legacies of the past and take it forward in the future direction of shared prosperity".
Addressing the seminar, the Secretary of State of Portugal underlined the historic relation between the two peoples that has been re-energised by the presence of the vibrant Bangladeshi community integrated into Portugal.
He also identified various avenues of cooperation at bilateral and global levels, and called for concrete actions to materialize them.
Bangladesh Ambassador in Lisbon focused on the present realities and future aspirations of the Bangladesh-Portugal relationship in his deliberation.
He stressed the need for a continued exchange of high-level visits, like the one by Bangladesh State Minister's present visit, to sustain and further elevate the existing bilateral relations.
The State Minister also participated in an interactive question-and-answer session at the close of the panel discussions. The event was rounded off with refreshment of Bangladeshi snacks.
