Azerbaijan seeks to invest in BD, open embassy

Azerbaijan is interested in investing in Bangladesh and is exploring the possibility of opening a resident embassy in Dhaka, as both nations see growing opportunities for trade, commerce, and international cooperation.

This interest was expressed by Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev during a meeting with the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, Professor Muhammad Yunus, and other officials.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the COP29 global climate conference in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, on Thursday.

Ilham Aliyev also said his country wishes to deepen ties with Bangladesh and take the bilateral relationship to a new height.

The Azerbaijan president said a high-level team of the Azerbaijani government will visit Bangladesh early next year in a move to explore a comprehensive array of engagements with Bangladesh.

President Aliyev also praised the student-led July-August revolution, saying he has been following events in Bangladesh for months. He mentioned a youth self-employment programme is underway in Azerbaijan inspired by the ideas of Professor Yunus.

He congratulated the chief adviser for assuming the leadership of the interim government and said Bangladesh will grow and prosper under his leadership.

"Your task is very challenging. But I know you are the one who can surmount the challenge," President Aliyev said.

CA Professor Yunus also called for stronger ties between the two nations. He said both nations could prosper if there were increased bilateral trade, people-to-people interactions, and cooperation in major international forums.

Professor Yunus also mentioned job opportunities for more Bangladeshis in the oil-rich central Asian nations. Hundreds of Bangladeshis have found jobs in the shipbuilding industry in the country in recent years.

President Aliyev said Azerbaijan has fought corruption through the digitalisation of its services. He expressed his interest in sharing their digitalisation experiences with Bangladesh.

Lutfey Siddiqi, special envoy of the CA; Lamiya Morshed, senior secretary and principal coordinator of SDG Affairs at the CA office; and M. Amanul Haq, the Bangladesh ambassador to Turkey and Azerbaijan, also attended the meeting.

CA Yunus discuss labour reforms with Ex-UK prime minister Theresa May

Separately on Thursday, Professor Muhammad Yunus and his team of officials also met former British Prime Minister Theresa May on the sidelines of the climate conference.

He said to her that his government would carry out vital labour reforms in an effort to attract more foreign investment in Bangladesh's manufacturing sector.

"The labour issue is one of our top priorities. We want to resolve all labour issues," Professor Yunus said as they discussed Bangladesh's recent developments.

Ms. May expressed her desire to work on the issue. She also discussed human trafficking and migration with Dr. Yunus.

Professor Yunus called for strengthening the legal channels for migration to Europe by Bangladeshi people highlighting that the move would cut risky and irregular migration.

Theresa May received a copy of 'Art of Triumph' from Professor Yunus as a gift. It comprises of photographs of murals, which the young artists in Bangladesh created during the July-August revolution.

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