Canberra – Bangladesh and Australia are enhancing their cooperation on shared security challenges, including counterterrorism and people smuggling, said Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop.
Announcing the appointment of Julia Niblett as Australia’s next High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Bishop said the trade and investment between Bangladesh and Australia continues to increase, particularly in the agriculture, energy and readymade garment sectors.
“Our two-way trade is currently worth $1.7 billion annually,” the Australian minister was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Australia supports Bangladesh with significant aid investments in primary education and skills development, according to an official statement issued by the Australian government, she said.
Mentioning that Australia was one of the first nations to recognise Bangladesh’s independence in 1971, Bishop said the two countries, today, enjoy strong people-to-people links, particularly in sports and education.
She said more than 5,000 Bangladeshi students studied in Australia last year, and over the next 12 months, more than 80 Australian students will study in Bangladesh under the New Colombo Plan.
The Australian Foreign Minister also thanked outgoing High Commissioner Greg Wilcock for his strong contributions towards advancing Australia’s interests in Bangladesh since 2012.
Niblett is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and has previously held the positions of Assistant Secretary in South-East Asia Maritime Bilateral Branch; Mekong, Philippines and Myanmar Development Branch; and Asia Strategies and Partnerships Branch in the former AusAID.
Niblett was also posted to Bangkok, Paris and Manila with the Immigration Department.
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