Today at the Farnesina, Italian Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Maria Tripodi opened bilateral political consultations between Italy and Bangladesh. The meeting, held the day after the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Italy-Bangladesh diplomatic relations, provided an opportunity to sign a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a mechanism for political dialogue at senior official level, laying the foundation for even closer relations.
While recalling the historic relations with Bangladesh – Italy was in fact among the first countries to recognise the country after the proclamation of its independence – Undersecretary Tripodi emphasised the strength of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, especially in the economic sector, with interchange growing by 53 percent in 2022 compared to 2021, and migration, with the inclusion of Bangladesh among the beneficiary countries of the Flows Decree (Decreto Flussi).
Chaired by the Secretary General of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Riccardo Guariglia and Bangladesh Foreign Secretary General Masud Bin Momen, former Bangladesh Ambassador to Italy, the talks allowed for a review of the main topics of bilateral and multilateral collaboration. In particular, Ambassador Guariglia, while expressing appreciation for Dhaka’s initiatives to foster economic development and innovation, emphasised the growing interest of Italian companies in Bangladesh, including in the defense and security sector. Ambassador Guariglia also expressed appreciation for the progress in political dialogue, including with regard to regional areas of priority importance to Italy and Bangladesh, such as the EU and the Indo-Pacific, and in the main multilateral fora: particularly at the United Nations, where the two countries are among the main contributors of troops to peacekeeping missions. The meeting also provided an opportunity to explain the strengths of Rome’s candidacy to EXPO2030.
The two Ambassadors also discussed the need for ever greater coordination to address current international crises and challenges, such as the war in Ukraine and migration. In this regard, Ambassadors Guariglia and Momen also addressed the crisis in Myanmar and in particular the situation of the Rohingya.
The two Secretaries General agreed on the opportunity to further expand bilateral cooperation, including through the signed Memorandum.