Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Dec 4 – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was accorded a warm reception as she arrived at the Peace Palace, the Prime Minister’s Office of the Cambodia, here on Monday morning.Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen received Sheikh Hasina at the entrance of the Peace Palace around 8:30 am, local time.
Later, Hasina was taken to a well-decorated dais when a smartly turned out contingent of the Cambodian armed forces gave a guard of honour to her.
The national anthems of the two countries were played at that time. Hasina took salute and inspected the guard.
The Cambodian Prime Minister and his Bangladesh counterpart introduced their cabinet colleagues to each other later.
Earlier, on her way to the Peace Palace, hundreds of school students greeted the Prime Minister by waving miniature of Bangladesh national flag and flower.
Meanwhile, official talks between Bangladesh and Cambodia began at the Peace Palace aimed at further boosting bilateral ties along with enhancing trade and investment relation and cooperation on various sectors between the two countries.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is leading the Bangladesh side at the talks, while the Cambodian PM Hun Sen is leading his country at the talks.
Before the meeting, the two Prime Ministers held a tête-à-tête for a while.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived here on Sunday afternoon on a three-day official visit to Cambodia at the invitation of her Cambodian counterpart.
Bangladesh and Cambodia on Monday signed 10 instruments, including one agreement and nine (MoUs), aiming to enhance cooperation in various fields, including tourism, agriculture, civil aviation, ICT and technical education between the two countries.
The instruments were signed after the official bilateral talks between Bangladesh and Cambodia held at Peace Palace in Phnom Penh here in the morning.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina led the Bangladesh side at the talks, while her Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen led his home side.
The two prime ministers witnessed the signing of the documents by ministers and high officials concerned of both the countries.
The agreement signed today is on cooperation between the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and the Cambodian Chamber of Commerce.
The MoUs inked today are in cooperation in the field of tourism, aquaculture and fisheries, ICT and related industry, MoU on cooperation between the governments of Bangladesh and Cambodia over labour and vocational training.
A MoU on cooperation and collaboration on preserving war history, war monuments and war relics, MoU on the modalities for Institutional Cooperation Under the Joint Trade Council, MoU on Cooperation and Collaboration on matters related to the implementation of SDGs were also signed.
Besides, MoUs were inked on academic cooperation between Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies and the International Relations Institute of Cambodia as well as on Institutional Cooperation on the promotion of Investment between Bangladesh Investment Authority and the Council for the Development of Cambodia.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon, State Minister for ICT Division Junaid Ahmed Palak, Chief Coordinator on Implementation of the SDGs Md Abul Kalam Azad, Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque, Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Maksudul Hasan Khan, Secretary of the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs Aparup Chowdhury, FBCCI President Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin and BIDA Executive Chairman Kazi M Aminul Islam signed the relevant agreement and MoUs for the Bangladesh side.
Besides, the ministers and senior officials concerned of the respective ministries and organisations of Cambodia signed the documents for their respective sides.- UNB
