Pakistan, Bangladesh resume FO consultative meetings after 15 years

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines of D-8 summit in Cairo, Egypt on December 19, 2024. — PID

Foreign secretaries of both countries to lead delegations in consultative meeting.
Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch arrives in Dhaka on two-day visit.
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar expected to visit Bangladesh in last week of April.

In a bid to normalise mutual diplomatic relations, bilateral Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between Pakistan and Bangladesh resumed after 15 years, as per reports by Bangladeshi media on Thursday.

Both Pakistan and Bangladesh Foreign Offices are set to hold consultative meeting in Dhaka today (Thursday) in order to strengthen dialogue and cooperation between the two countries.

Moreover, it is important to note that foreign secretaries of both countries will lead delegations in the consultative meeting.

Pakistan Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch arrived in Dhaka yesterday on a two-day visit to attend the Foreign Office Consultation (FOC).

The Bangladeshi media also reported that discussions are expected on matters of mutual interest, regional situation, and promotion of bilateral cooperation during the consultative meeting, which is set to take place in Dhaka.

Amna will lead the Pakistan side and Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin will lead the Bangladesh side at the FOC to be held at the State Guest House Padma today.

According to The Daily Star, after the FOC, Amna will also call on 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.

Additionally, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is expected to visit Bangladesh in the last week of April.

Since the fall of the Awami League-led government on August 5 last year, relations between both the countries have been warming.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Yunus met twice since then: first on the sidelines of the UN 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 nationals since then and launched direct shipping.

Meanwhile, Pakistan is keen to organise cultural exchange and boost trade, tourism and investment.

“Pakistan sees potential for boosting exports to Bangladesh, especially if their products are price competitive,” said Bangladesh High Commissioner to Pakistan Iqbal Hussain Khan, who is now in Dhaka for the meeting.