Special Correspondent: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud has invited Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to pay an official visit to Saudi Arabia, signalling a significant step towards strengthening bilateral ties between the two nations.
The invitation was conveyed through Saudi Ambassador Abdullah Jafar H. Bin Abiyah during a courtesy call on the Prime Minister at the Secretariat on Tuesday. The ambassador handed over the Crown Prince`s invitation letter to the premier.
Briefing reporters after the meeting at the Foreign Ministry, Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir said the Prime Minister is considering the invitation as part of Bangladesh`s efforts to deepen its strategic partnership with the Kingdom.
The Saudi Crown Prince has also expressed his interest in visiting Bangladesh, Humaiun said, adding that the dates for the reciprocal visits would be finalised through consultations between the two governments.
"The invitation to the Prime Minister and the Crown Prince`s interest in visiting Bangladesh reflect the growing strength of ties between our two countries," Humaiun told reporters.
He described the development as a milestone in Bangladesh-Saudi Arabia relations and said the government had successfully strengthened its brotherly relations with Middle Eastern countries within a short period of assuming office.
Recalling his recent engagements in the region, Humaiun said he had travelled across the Middle East as the Prime Minister`s special envoy during the regional conflict and that Bangladesh`s diplomatic initiatives had generated significant goodwill throughout the region.
The Saudi ambassador was the first foreign envoy to meet Tarique Rahman after he assumed office on February 22, fuelling speculation that Saudi Arabia would be the Prime Minister`s first overseas destination. However, the visit was delayed due to the regional instability triggered by the US-Israel conflict with Iran. The Prime Minister later visited Malaysia and China from June 20 to 26.
During Tuesday`s meeting, the two sides discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest, including trade, investment, labour cooperation and broader strategic partnership.
Saudi Arabia hosts nearly two million Bangladeshi expatriate workers and remains one of Bangladesh`s largest sources of remittance inflows.
Humaiun expressed optimism that bilateral cooperation would expand further in the coming months.
"We will strengthen our diplomatic relations and increase the volume of trade and investment between our two countries," he said.
He also revealed that Saudi Arabia has expressed strong interest in investing in Bangladesh, describing it as an encouraging development for both countries.
Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman and Saudi Deputy Ambassador Ibrahim Abdullah were also present during the meeting.