Dhaka (TDI): In a bid to normalize diplomatic ties, bilateral Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between Pakistan and Bangladesh resumed after 15 years on Thursday.
Both Pakistan and Bangladesh Foreign Offices will hold consultative meeting in Dhaka today in order to strengthen dialogue and collaboration between the two nations.
Moreover, it is important to note that foreign secretaries of both nations will lead delegations in the consultative meeting.
Pakistan Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday on a two-day visit to attend the Foreign Office Consultation.
The discussions are expected on issues of mutual interest, regional situation, and strengthening of bilateral collaboration during the consultative meeting, which is set to take place in Dhaka.
Amna will lead the Pakistan side and Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin will head the Bangladesh side at the discussions to be held at the State Guest House Padma.
After the FOC, Amna will also meet with Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain. She will also attend an interaction with the think-tanks and Pakistani diaspora in Dhaka in the evening.
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Moreover, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is likely to visit Bangladesh in the last week of this month.
Since the fall of the Awami League-led government on August 5, 2024, ties between both nations have been warming.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Yunus met twice since then: first on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September last year and later at the D-8 summit in Cairo in December.
Bangladesh has eased visa rules for Pakistani citizens since then and launched direct shipping.
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Meanwhile, Pakistan is keen to organize cultural exchange and boost trade, tourism and investment.
“Pakistan sees potential for increasing exports to Bangladesh, particularly if their products are price competitive,” said Bangladesh High Commissioner to Pakistan Iqbal Hussain Khan, who is now in Dhaka for the meeting.
