Bangladesh requests South Africa to open resident mission in Dhaka

Dhaka: Bangladesh has formally requested South Africa to establish a resident diplomatic mission in Dhaka during the Sixth Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM)/Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) held in Pretoria on May 21.

According to a joint communiqué issued after the meeting, the Bangladeshi side urged South Africa to open a resident mission in Dhaka to further strengthen political, economic, and diplomatic engagement between the two countries. In response, the South African side said it would consider the proposal in the near future.

The meeting was co-chaired by Ambassador DE Malcomson, Acting Deputy Director-General: Asia and Middle East, Department of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa, and Ambassador Asad Alam Siam, Foreign Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.

The consultations focused on expanding bilateral cooperation and reviewing progress since the previous SOM held in Dhaka in September 2019. The two sides also marked the 32nd anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and South Africa.

Both countries expressed regret over the six-year gap in diplomatic consultations caused mainly by the COVID-19 pandemic and agreed to intensify political and economic engagement through regular official exchanges, including high-level visits.

The two sides welcomed the significant growth in bilateral trade and economic relations, emphasizing the role of trade in boosting economic growth and creating employment opportunities in both countries.

During the meeting, Bangladesh also invited a South African trade delegation to visit Bangladesh for exploring new business and investment opportunities.

The consultations reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to strengthening cooperation across multiple sectors and enhancing people-to-people connectivity between South Asia and Africa.

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