Argentine Ambassador in Dhaka Marcelo Carlos said Bangladesh will receive priority in smart agriculture technical support, including the import of wheat and soybeans, under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed between the two countries last year, for the first time for bilateral cooperation in the field of agriculture.
“The signing of this MoU is expected to facilitate cost-effective imports of these key commodities, fostering greater agricultural trade and collaboration. Argentina is interested in increasing investment in various fields including sports and culture in Bangladesh”, said the envoy. He was addressing the National Day Reception of the Argentine Republic at Le Meridien Hotel in the city on Tuesday.
Agriculture Minister Dr Mohammad Abdus Shahid attended the celebrationas the guest of honour. Argentine Ambassador further said the MoU outlines potential areas of cooperation, including climate-smart technology, soil management, precision agriculture, irrigation management, post-harvest wastage prevention, good agricultural practices (GAP), marketing of agricultural products, and value chain development. Speaking as the guest of honor, Agriculture Minister said Bangladesh is projected to become the 25th largest economy by the first half of the 2030s as the country is now the world's 35th largest economy with a GDP of USD 460 billion. “As you are aware, Bangladesh is now well on the track to graduate from the UN LDC in 2026. This country of nearly 170 million people achieved this through their sheer hard work and unflinching commitment. Under the prudent leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the government has been working relentlessly towards transforming Bangladesh into a "Smart Bangladesh" , a happy, prosperous, knowledge-based, industrially developed nation by 2041,”the minister said. “The bilateral engagements between Bangladesh and Argentina have grown over the last few years and we may look at a potential windfall in terms of business collaboration. Bangladesh's export to Argentina accounts for only 0.1% of the Argentinean import whereas Argentina is the 7th largest import source for Bangladesh” the minister said.
In FY 2021-22, Bangladesh's export to Argentina stood at 18 million US dollars while the import figure stood at 791 million US dollars. But this may only be the tip of a potential iceberg.
Dr Mohammad Abdus Shahid said the remarkable socio-economic progress and development under able leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has received accolades in the international forums.
Politicians, diplomats, business leaders, civil and military bureaucrats, members of the civil society and media personalities attended the reception.
