President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir urged Vietnam on Thursday to streamline visa issuance procedures for Bangladeshi commercial actors, workforce travelers, academics, and leisure visitors to deepen interpersonal linkages and broaden bilateral cooperation.

"Bangladesh and Vietnam have maintained friendly relations for more than five decades. To further strengthen the relations between the two countries and harness mutual development potential, it is important to ease the visa process to increase contacts and expand areas of partnership among businesspeople, investors and peoples of the two countries," he remarked.

The appeal was articulated during a farewell courtesy meeting at Bangabhaban with departing Vietnamese Ambassador to Bangladesh Nguyen Manh Cuong, per a briefing relayed to a lcoal media by President's Press Secretary Md. Sarwar Alam.

Opening the dialogue, the outgoing envoy extended congratulations to the President upon assuming office while conveying an official state invitation from Hanoi for an incoming visit to Vietnam.

Expressing gratitude, the President acknowledged the proffer extended by his Vietnamese counterpart.

Reciprocal advocacy by the ambassador spotlighted the necessity of launching direct commercial flight routes, operationalizing a preferential trade agreement (PTA), and intensifying high-level diplomatic exchanges.

Revisiting personal history from a 2003 delegation tour accompanying former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, President Mirza Fakhrul expressed confidence that foundational public ties and state bilateralism will continue ascending.

Advocating for commercial equilibrium, he noted, "Opportunities should be created to increase Bangladesh's exports to make trade between the two countries more balanced and mutually beneficial."

To achieve parity, he pressed Hanoi to scale up intake of domestic manufacturing staples, specifically pharmaceuticals, leather articles, ceramic products, push-bicycles, and jute goods.

Concluding the interaction, the President commended the departing diplomat for a productive tenure advancing bilateral cooperation, offering warm personal well-wishes alongside prayers for regional stability and progress in Vietnam.

Participating dignitaries included presidential secretaries, senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and delegates representing the Embassy of Vietnam.