Bangladesh and Bhutan emphasized the necessity of boosting bilateral trade, deepening private sector collaboration and broadening the scope of products covered under the Bangladesh-Bhutan Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) during bilateral talks on Tuesday.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two South Asian neighbors also explored the potential for establishing a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

These matters were addressed during the Fourth Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) held between the Governments of Bangladesh and Bhutan in Dhaka.

The consultation was co-chaired by Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam and Bhutanese Foreign Secretary Pema Lektup Dorji.

The Foreign Ministry noted that the meeting was conducted in a warm, cordial, and constructive environment, offering an opportunity to conduct a comprehensive review of overall bilateral relations while exchanging views on regional and multilateral matters of mutual interest.

Reaffirming their enduring bonds of friendship, trust, and mutual respect, both delegations expressed satisfaction with the steady growth of bilateral cooperation over the years across diverse sectors, including political ties, trade and investment, connectivity, healthcare, education, tourism, culture, agriculture, and people-to-people contacts.

Both nations agreed to further intensify high-level political interactions and sustain regular government-to-government consultations, emphasizing the imperative to translate political goodwill into concrete benefits for their respective populations.

The Foreign Ministry stated that both sides reiterated their desire to expand cooperation across culture, tourism, agriculture, human resource development, academic partnerships, institutional linkages, youth exchanges, and sports.

During the deliberations, Bangladesh conveyed its backing and interest regarding Bhutan’s Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) initiative, recognizing its capacity to foster sustainable development, regional connectivity, and shared prosperity, while expressing intent to explore mutually beneficial opportunities.
Furthermore, Bangladesh reiterated the need to expedite the operationalization of the dedicated Bhutanese Special Economic Zone located in Kurigram.

To promote deeper regional integration, both countries discussed strengthening multilateral cooperation under the frameworks of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

Expressing satisfaction with the overall deliberations of the fourth FOC, both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to further strengthening the close Bangladesh–Bhutan partnership. The next round of Foreign Office Consultations will be hosted in Thimphu on a mutually convenient date.