The first consignment of rice from Vietnam is scheduled to arrive in Chittagong within 15 days, said newly appointed Ambassador of Vietnam to Dhaka Tran Van Khoa.
The Vietnamese Ambassador said this when he met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her parliament office on Thursday.
PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.
He said the Vietnamese Ambassador expressed satisfaction over the extension of MoU on rice trade with Bangladesh as the first consignment of rice is scheduled to arrive in Chittagong in 15 days.
In this context, Sheikh Hasina said, “We want to keep extra food grains in stock to meet any eventuality.”
Pointing out Vietnam’s socioeconomic development, the Prime Minister said the Southeast Asian nation achieved remarkable successes after the war. “Vietnam is an example to us and we follow it. We had to fight for independence like Vietnam.”
After Bangladesh’s independence, Hasina said, Bangabandhu got only three and a half years and started rebuilding the war-ravaged country.
The Prime Minister put emphasis on strengthening connectivity and economic cooperation between Bangladesh and Southeast Asian nations. “Bangladesh and Vietnam could share their experiences in different fields like trade and culture,” she said.
Describing poverty as the common problem for the developing countries, Hasina called for working together to eliminate the curse of poverty.
“If we work together, we can achieve success in this regard,” she said.
Ambassador Van Khoa conveyed the best wishes of Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to Bangladesh Prime Minister.
He also handed over a book to Hasina depicting the life of Vietnamese Communist revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh also carrying the unforgettable memories of the War of Liberation.
The Vietnamese Ambassador also highly praised Sheikh Hasina’s able leadership. “There has been impressive achievement in many sectors under your leadership.”
Van Khoa highly appreciated the achievement of 7.24 percent GDP growth by Bangladesh in the outgoing fiscal year.
Appreciating the continuous efforts of Bangladesh in combating terrorism and fighting the adverse impacts of climate change, the Ambassador said, “We’ve many commonalities and we can learn from each other.”
The envoy also emphasised the exchange of visits by high-level delegations and said his task would be to further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries alongside continuing cooperation in various sectors.
PM’s Principal Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury and Senior PMO Secretary Suraiya Begum were present on the occasion.
