Erdogan to join Mujib Year celebration in Dhaka: Foreign minister
Turkey wants to enhance its ties with Bangladesh exceeding $2 billion in trade
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has reiterated that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Bangladesh, in person, after the Covid-19 pandemic is over – either to attend the finale event of Mujib Borsho on 17 March or the D-8 Summit next year.
"We remain excited and we are ready to welcome the Turkish president," Momen said on Wednesday while receiving a special gift of medical equipment sent by Turkey through its Ambassador to Bangladesh Mustafa Osman Turan at the Padma state guesthouse.
The Bangladeshi foreign minister said the bilateral relationship between the two countries will continue to grow in the future.
Turkey has sent medical equipment to Bangladesh on four other occasions amid the Covid-19 crisis.
The Turkish president previously accepted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's invitation to visit Bangladesh. If he cannot come to Bangladesh due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he will participate through technology, the Bangladeshi foreign minister said.
Abdul Momen met the Turkish president at the Presidential Complex in Ankara last month, and discussed various issues of mutual interest including Erdogan's visit to Bangladesh.
Minister Momen said the new Turkish Mission in Bangladesh is ready to open and his counterpart Mevlut Cavusog will visit Dhaka soon to inaugurate it.
He also said Turkey wants enhanced trade relations with Bangladesh to substantially increase the bilateral trade volume between the two countries.
"The Turkish president is committed to enhancing ties with Bangladesh. Trade should exceed $2 billion," he told reporters while referring to his recent discussion with Erdogan.
Last year, the bilateral volume of trade between the two countries stood at $935.8 million. Turkey primarily imports: jute yarn and twine, jute manufacturers' knitwear, woven garments, leather, and ceramics from Bangladesh.
The country's main export items to Bangladesh include: iron and steel construction material, cotton, milk and milk products, machines and their components, textile machinery, spices, and generators.
