Diplomatic Correspondent: State minister for foreign affairs has expressed Dhaka`s eagerness to further elevate the excellent fraternal relations between Bangladesh and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to new heights.
He also expressed satisfaction with the increasing engagement in new and emerging areas of collaboration and the frequency of high-level visits between the two countries. The state minister made the remark while spoke as the guest of honor at the Saudi Arabian 93rd national day reception hosted by the Royal Saudi Embassy in the capital on Tuesday evening. Prime minister`s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman joined as the chief guest. In his speech, Alam described the bilateral relationship as an age-old and trusted partnership based on a deep understanding and close cooperation in various bilateral and multilateral sectors.
He recalled the recent productive meetings between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Saudi Crown Prince this year. The state minister expressed gratitude to the Kingdom for hosting 2.8 million workers who are contributing to the economies of both countries.
He commended the Ambassador for his dynamic role in enhancing manpower cooperation, including signing the Workers` Recruitment and Skill Verification Programme (SVP) for Bangladeshi workforce.
Alam expressed hope that the Kingdom will recruit skilled Bangladeshi workers through this framework agreement while continuing to recruit unskilled workers as well. The state minister also appreciated Saudi Arabia`s commitment to diplomacy and dialogue in achieving regional stability, including finding a political solution to the Yemen crisis, and expressed unequivocal support for the Middle East peace process. He further commended Saudi Arabia for its increasing global influence and its recent accession to BRICS.