MCCI, Colombian envoy agree to work on increasing bilateral trade

Ambassador of Colombia to India (accredited to Bangladesh) Mariana Pacheco-Montes visited the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka (MCCI) office in the city's Gulshan on Wednesday.
The board of directors of MCCI, led by its President Md Saiful Islam, received the envoy, said a press release.
During the meeting, the MCCI president thanked the Colombian government for its consistent support on the Rohingya issue.
The ambassador acknowledged that the refugee crisis was common in Colombia too, as they also had over two million refugees from Venezuela.
The envoy ensured Colombia's continuous support in this regard.
In the discussion, MCCI president Mr Islam mentioned that the bilateral trade volume between Bangladesh and Colombia currently stood at around US $36 million.
However, the MCCI president and the envoy agreed to work together, in a bid to increase the bilateral trade volume to $100 million by 2025.
Mr Islam also requested a transfer of know-how, especially in the agricultural sector.
Colombia is world famous for its premium coffee; so a transfer of knowledge here could help Bangladesh to produce similar coffee, said the MCCI president.
The Colombian ambassador acknowledged how both Bangladesh and Colombia had grown during the last few years.
She pointed out that Colombia could carry out value addition in Bangladesh for their fashion industry items. These goods could eventually find export markets covered by Colombia's Free Trade Agreements.
The envoy also promised to arrange a business mission from Colombia, especially from the fashion sector, to visit Bangladesh.
She expressed her interest in taking the existing bilateral relationship to the next level.
During the meeting, both sides unanimously agreed to have interactions and exchange views regularly.
MCCI Senior Vice-President Kamran T Rahman, Vice President Habibullah N Karim and Director Anis A Khan, among others, were present.

talhabinhabib@yahoo.com