Dhaka: Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir held a courtesy meeting with the Ambassador of Italy to Bangladesh, Antonio Alessandro, on May 10 at the Prime Minister’s Office in the capital.

The meeting focused on strengthening the longstanding friendly relations between Bangladesh and Italy, with special emphasis on expanding cooperation in trade, cultural exchange, and migration management, read a press release from the Foreign Ministry.

During the discussion, both sides reviewed opportunities to further enhance bilateral trade and diversify export-import relations. The Italian Ambassador expressed Italy’s strong interest in increasing imports from Bangladesh, particularly ready-made garments, food products, leather, and leather goods, all of which are recognized for their quality in the Italian market.

At the same time, the Italian side encouraged Bangladesh to explore increased procurement of modern technology and industrial machinery from Italy, highlighting its potential contribution to the modernization and upgrading of Bangladesh’s industrial sector.

A key highlight of the meeting was enhanced cooperation on migration. Both sides discussed ways to further streamline and expand safe, regular, and orderly migration channels between Bangladesh and Italy. The discussions underscored the importance of improving existing mechanisms to ensure better management of labor mobility and mutual benefit for both countries.

The meeting also explored avenues to deepen cultural and people-to-people ties. In this context, proposals were made to invite renowned Italian football clubs to visit Bangladesh and organize friendly matches, which would further strengthen cultural engagement and youth connections between the two nations.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to elevating Bangladesh–Italy relations to new heights. They expressed optimism that cooperation would continue to expand in the coming years across key sectors, including trade, culture, sports, defense, and migration management.