Bangladesh wants closer ties with Venezuela: President
Unb, Dhaka
President Iajuddin Ahmed yesterday said Bangladesh is eager to strengthen ties with Venezuela through more people-to-people contact and closer economic cooperation.The president said this when newly appointed Ambassador of Venezuela Milena Santana-Ramirez presented her credentials to him at Bangabhaban. Iajuddin congratulated the new Venezuelan envoy based in New Delhi. He said Bangladesh and Venezuela enjoy close bonds of friendship and understanding based on their shared values of democracy and commitment to world peace. He recalled the official visit of Venezuelan President Hugo Rafael Chavez Fries in 2001, the first-ever official visit to Bangladesh by a head of state of Venezuela. Iajuddin underscored the need for exchange of visit of experts, especially doctors, agriculturists and students between the two countries. He said Bangladesh has achieved significant progress in poverty alleviation, empowerment of women and in non-formal education. The president mentioned that Bangladesh has always perused cooperation and friendship with its neighbours and played a pioneering role in forming the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) to promote economic cooperation peace and stability in this region. He expressed the hope that the new Venezuelan envoy during her tenure would make significant contribution to take the relations between the two countries to a new height. Iajuddin conveyed through the Ambassador best wishes to the Venezuelan president and invited him to visit Bangladesh. The new ambassador noted with interest that Venezuela has also used the micro-credit model of Bangladesh for the welfare of the economically challenged section of its population. She said Venezuela has taken initiatives to develop many sectors, including micro-credit and oil sectors. Earlier on his arrival at Bangabhaban, the ambassador was given a guard of honour by the President's guard regiment. She took salute and inspected the parade, said an official release. Foreign Secretary Hemayetuddun, Military Secretary to the President Major Gen Md Aminul Karim, Secretary to the President AFM Solaiman Chowdhury, Press Secretary M Mukhlesur Rahman Chowdhury and other senior official were present on the occasion.
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