MT Desk: State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam, MP held a meeting with Ms. Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP, Minister of State (Indo-Pacific) at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the UK, this morning in London.

During the meeting, State Minister expressed happiness that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina could attend the historic royal coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla on 6 May 2023 in London. He also expressed satisfaction at the fruitful meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and British Prime Minister Mr. Rishi Sunank MP at the Marlborough House on 5 May 2023 on the margins of the Commonwealth Leaders Event. The FCDO Minister of State (Indo-Pacific) conveyed British Government’s sincere appreciation for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s attending the royal coronation. She expressed that British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was pleased to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the royal coronation. She further expressed satisfaction at the signing of the Joint Communique on Aviation Trade and Investment Partnership between Bangladesh and the UK governments during Prime Minister’s visit to the UK last month.

The State Minister thanked the British Government for their humanitarian support to the Rohingya camps and political support towards a safe, voluntary and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingyas to their homeland Myanmar. He also underscored that the Rohingya crisis must not go out of sight of the international community. The British Minister of State praised Bangladesh’s generosity in hosting the Rohingyas and echoed that the issue should get due attention from the international community.

The State Minister informed the British Minister of State that Bangladesh Cabinet decided last week to accede to the Hong Kong Convention on Ship Recycling paving the way for the Convention to come into effect. The British Minister of State thanked the Bangladesh government for its decision and expressed the desire to work together for green shipping and maritime security.

The State Minister expressed Bangladesh government’s resolve to extend all possible support to the Election Commission to hold free and fair general elections. The British Minister of State assured that the British Government would continue to support democratic process in Bangladesh.

Both sides also shared their views on Commonwealth affairs, particularly on trade and investment issues and hoped that the upcoming Commonwealth Trade and Investment Forum in Dhaka will be a success.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Ms. Saida Muna Tasneem and Director General (West Europe & EU) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. Kazi Russel Pervez were present at the meeting.