Meloni's meeting with PM boosted ties, Italian foreign affairs official says

Riccardo Guarglia, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy has said the strong ties between Bangladesh and Italy have been further strengthened following the fruitful meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President of the Council of Ministers of Italy Giorgia Meloni on 25 July 2023 in Rome.

He appreciated Bangladesh’s growing importance in the Indo-Pacific and shared Italy’s desire to further strengthen Bangladesh-Italy bilateral relations with enhanced cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, defence and security, AI and information technology, green transition and renewable energy, migration and mobility as well as culture.

He had a courtesy meeting with Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during his maiden visit to Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh Foreign Minister expressed satisfaction at the decades-old friendly relations between Bangladesh and Italy and observed that a large number of Bangladeshi Diaspora in Italy has been a living bridge between the two countries who are contributing immensely to the economies of both the nations.

Hasan appreciated the growing trade relations between the two countries and suggested more Italian investments in Bangladesh, particularly in the emerging sectors, including automotive and IT.

Appreciating the Italian government and people for being the generous host of the Bangladesh community, he suggested more legal pathways for the migration of skilled workers from Bangladesh to Italy.

He also requested to ease the visa process for Bangladeshi students so that they may be able to pursue higher studies in Italian universities.

The Italian Secretary General commended Bangladesh community in Italy as peace-loving and hard-working and underscored the importance of concluding a bilateral instrument soon to open up new pathways for legal migration and curb irregular migration from Bangladesh to Italy.

The two sides underscored the need for regular exchange of high political and official-level visits to further strengthen bilateral ties.