Bangladesh has reiterated its request to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to explore possible cooperation from the country in meeting Bangladesh’s domestic energy needs.Reflecting on the current political instability in parts of Europe, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday urged Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Yousef Essa Alduhailan to explore possible cooperation from Saudi Arabia and take up the issue of considering crude or refined oil from Aramco (Saudi Arabian Oil Company) on a deferred payment basis.
The Saudi envoy assured to take up the proposal with the appropriate authorities in the Kingdom, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.He also conveyed KSA’s readiness to facilitate Bangladesh’s proposal to set up a fertilizer industry in Saudi Arabia.The Ambassador handed over a letter to Momen from Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al- Saud inviting the Foreign Minister to undertake an official visit to Saudi Arabia to review and expedite ongoing mutual collaboration.
The Foreign Minister appreciated and accepted the invitation, thanked the Ambassador and said the visit schedule would be fixed through diplomatic channels.During the meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they exchanged views on issues of mutual interests pertaining to bilateral and multilateral cooperation.Welcoming the Saudi envoy in his office, Foreign Minister Momen commended him for his dynamic role in promoting the bilateral relationship.They discussed and reviewed various bilateral issues and expressed satisfaction at the state of relations flourishing rapidly in many fields including political, economic, trade and investment, security and defense, manpower and other areas.
On the prospect of further employment in the Saudi Arabia with reference to Neom city, the Foreign Minister conveyed Bangladesh’s readiness in providing skilled workers and technicians in different trades and also indicated readiness of the Government to assign dedicated university or training institute to train manpower in specialized trades to cater to the needs of Saudi Arabia.Noting progress of the Saudi investment in the renewable energy sector, the Foreign Minister urged the Envoy to explore the possibility of prospective financing in the Eastern Refinery Unit-2 from Saudi Fund for Development (SFD).
Reaffirming support to Saudi Arabia in the multilateral fora, Momen recalled Bangladesh’s support to Saudi Arabia in hosting the Expo-2030 in Riyadh.The Saudi Ambassador expressed his gratitude to the Minister for his continuous support and guidance in taking forward the bilateral engagements to new heights and continued support in the multilateral fora.
