On March 5, Vietnam and Bangladesh issued a Joint Statement on the State visit to Bangladesh by President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Tran Dai Quang. VBS is pleased to present the full text of the Joint Statement.
1. At the invitation of President of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Md. Abdul Hamid, a high-level Vietnamese delegation led by President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Tran Dai Quang and his spouse paid a State visit to the People’s Republic of Bangladesh from 4 to 6 March 2018. The visit marked the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Bangladesh.
2. The welcoming ceremony for President Tran Dai Quang, presided over by President Md. Abdul Hamid, was held solemnly with a guard of honor at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. On 5 March 2018, President Abdul Hamid hosted a State Banquet in honor of President Tran Dai Quang.
3. On 5 March 2018, President Tran Dai Quang laid a wreath in tribute to the Bangladeshi heroes and martyrs who sacrificed their lives in Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War at the Savar National Memorial, and visited the museum commemorating “Father of the Nation of Bangladesh” Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhaka. Foreign Minister A H Mahmood Ali called on the President at his hotel.
4. During the visit, President Tran Dai Quang held talks with President Md. Abdul Hamid, held bilateral talks with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, met with the Speaker of Parliament and the Chairman of the Workers Party; attended and delivered remarks at the Vietnam – Bangladesh Business Forum; received the leaders of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Bangladesh – Vietnam Business Council and a number of leading Bangladeshi enterprises; and attended the opening ceremony of “Vietnam Culture Days in Bangladesh” on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam – Bangladesh diplomatic relations (1973-2018).
5. At their meetings, the two sides briefed each other on the political situation and socio-economic development of their respective countries. President Tran Dai Quang highly appreciated Bangladesh’s achievements in maintaining stability and socio-economic development, improving the people’s living standards, and contributing to peace, stability and development in the region. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed admiration for Vietnam’s remarkable socio-economic development as well as its contributions to the region, and congratulated Vietnam on successfully hosting APEC Year 2017.
6. At the talks, President Tran Dai Quang and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina emphasized the traditional friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Bangladesh throughout the 45 years of diplomatic relations. The two sides agreed on directions and measures to further expand and deepen bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual benefit.
7. The two sides agreed to strengthen close relations and political trust between the two countries through the exchange of delegations, high-level and other-level contacts, as well as people-to-people exchanges. In that spirit, President Tran Dai Quang welcomed senior Bangladeshi leaders to visit Vietnam soon.
8. The two sides agreed to hold the second round of Political Consultations between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs in Hanoi in 2018 to review areas of cooperation going forward.
9. The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in the field of security and defense through the exchange of delegations and goodwill visits, and by participating in training programs in each country. The two sides also agreed to continue cooperation on combating transnational crime and terrorism. Bangladesh stands ready to share its experience in participating in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations.
10. The two sides expressed satisfaction at the positive growth of two-way trade turnover in 2017, which reached nearly USD 900 million, up nearly 50% compared to 2016. The two sides also agreed to hold the second session of the Joint Sub-Committee on Trade in 2018 at an early date to discuss measures to promote bilateral trade.
11. To encourage bilateral investment, the two sides stressed the need to effectively implement the Agreement on the Promotion and Protection of Investment, and agreed to create the most favorable conditions for businesspeople and business communities of both sides to seek business and investment opportunities in each other’s country.
12. The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation and share experience and techniques in developing sustainable agriculture and fisheries; and welcomed the signing of the extension of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Fisheries and Livestock, and the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Machinery Manufacturing.
13. The two Leaders agreed to promote cooperation in education and training. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina highly appreciated FPT University for providing 100 scholarships to Bangladeshi students for the 2017-2018 academic year. The two sides welcomed the signing of the Cultural Cooperation Programme between the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Bangladesh and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam.
14. The two sides emphasized the need to implement the Air Services Agreement and establish direct flights connecting the two countries to promote trade, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.
15. The two sides highly valued their close cooperation and coordination at regional and international forums, particularly within the framework of the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, South-South cooperation and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF); and appreciated their mutual support at international forums. Vietnam requested Bangladesh’s support for its candidacy as a Non-Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-2021 term. Bangladesh agreed to give full consideration to this request, bearing in mind the tradition of mutual support between the two countries at international forums.
16. The two sides affirmed their determination to continue cooperating and coordinating on issues of mutual concern such as sustainable development, disaster and climate change response, water security and food security.
17. The Bangladesh Prime Minister reaffirmed her wish to strengthen political, economic and trade relations with ASEAN countries; and requested Vietnam’s support for Bangladesh’s aspiration to become an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner and a member of the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) mechanism. President Tran Dai Quang agreed that Vietnam would give full consideration to these requests on the basis of consultation with ASEAN and MGC member countries.
18. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina requested Vietnam’s support for a peaceful solution for the people affected who came from Rakhine State and are currently being provided shelter in Bangladesh. President Tran Dai Quang expressed support for a feasible and durable solution to this issue for the sake of peace, stability and development in the region. In that spirit, the President welcomed the recent agreements between Bangladesh and Myanmar on this matter.
19. The two sides emphasized the importance of maintaining peace, stability and a rules-based order in the seas and oceans, including security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight, on the basis of international law. The two sides emphasized the peaceful settlement of all international disputes, including territorial and maritime disputes, on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The two sides agreed to continue supporting full compliance with the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and to work towards the early completion of a substantive Code of Conduct (COC).
20. The two sides expressed satisfaction with the candid and sincere exchanges held in a spirit of mutual understanding, as well as the important outcomes achieved during the visit. President Tran Dai Quang and his spouse thanked the Government and people of Bangladesh for the warm and hospitable welcome extended to the delegation, and cordially invited both the Prime Minister and the President of Bangladesh to visit Vietnam at a time convenient to both sides, with the timing of the visits to be arranged through diplomatic channels.