Staff correspondent :

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that Bangladesh has attached priority to enhancing further the bilateral and trade relations with African nations as she held bilateral meetings with heads of the state of four countries including three from Africa on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit here.

“We want to boost the bilateral and trade relations with the African nations for mutual benefits,” she said.

Foreign Minister Dr Abdul Momen briefed newsmen about the Prime Minister’s daylong engagement on Thursday after the meetings at his room of the Hotel Radission Blu Sandton here.

Prime Minister’s Speechwriter Md Nazrul Islam was present during the briefing.

Sheikh Hasina also sought investments in various sectors from the countries for mutual benefits.

The bilateral meetings between Sheikh Hasina and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President of Mozambique Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of Tanzania Dr Saima Sulluhu and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi were held at Sandton Convention Centre on Thursday.

A meeting was also held between Bangladesh premier and President of the New Development Bank Dilma Vana Rousseff at the same venue.

During the meetings, the five dignitaries highly praised Bangladesh’s remarkable development under Sheikh Hasina’s prudent leadership, Momen said.

The foreign minister said Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva assured Bangladesh to give all sorts of cooperation and invited the Bangladesh premier to visit Brazil at the convenient time.

He said after bilateral talks with Sheikh Hasina, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has expressed his desire to visit Bangladesh again to see in person the massive development of Bangladesh citing that he had earlier visited Jashore in Bangladesh 30 years back.

“I want to visit Bangladesh to see the massive development you have done,” Raisi said.

During the bilateral meeting with President of Mozambique Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, the premier has sought investment from Mozambique on a larger scale particularly in pharmaceuticals.

President of the New Development Bank Dilma Vana Rousseff has expressed her organisation’s eagerness to provide assistance to Bangladesh particularly in the projects regarding women empowerment, saying that the bank has already sanctioned 700 million US dollars in two development schemes in Bangladesh.

“I can assure you Bangladesh will get top priority from the New Development Bank as long as I am the President of the bank,” she said.

The prime minister arrived in Johannesburg to attend the 15th BRICS Summit on August 22 at the invitation of the Current Chair of BRICS and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

On the sidelines of the BRICS Plus Dialogue, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo earlier exchanged pleasantries with the Bangladesh premier.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Vice-President of Uganda, Deputy Prime Minister of South Africa, Russian Foreign Minister, Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia also exchanged pleasantries with Sheikh Hasina.

The premier also joined a photo session with the heads of state and government who arrived in Johannesburg to attend the 15th BRICS Summit.

After wrapping up her four-day visit in South Africa, the prime minister will depart Johannesburg for home on August 26 and is expected to arrive in Dhaka on August 27 morning.

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