DHAKA: Bangladesh and Algeria on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Foreign Office Consultations, the first ever bilateral agreement to have been signed between the two countries.

The MOU was signed by Bangladesh Foreign Minister Mr. A.H. Mahmood Ali, MP and his Algerian counterpart Mr. Ramtane Lamamra in the Algerian capital this morning. The Bangladesh Foreign Minister arrived here on Tuesday to attend the 17th Session of the NAM Ministerial Meeting.

The MOU was signed in the backdrop of the present Government’s thrust on further broadening and deepening bilateral relations with the African countries. Foreign Minister Ali hoped that the MOU would open up opportunities for further strengthening the bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries by creating a platform for exploring new avenues and reviewing the entire gamut of bilateral relations on a periodic basis.

During a tete-a-tete following the signing ceremony, the two Foreign Ministers recalled the close friendship between Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and President Boumeddin of Algeria, and expressed their resolve to carry forward their legacy to revitalize the bilateral relations through enhanced interaction and cooperation.

The two Foreign Ministers observed that Bangladesh and Algeria enjoyed excellent cooperation in all multilateral fora, and this could further energize the bilateral relations, with particular focus on intensifying trade and investment cooperation.

Foreign Minister Ali invited Algeria to further explore opportunities for export of quality products from Bangladesh through exchange of trade delegations and organising of trade fairs in each other’s countries.

Foreign Minister Ali also invited his Algerian counterpart to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time soon. 

BDST: 1945 HRS, MAY 29, 2014