The Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh, Masud Bin Momen has paid a courtesy call on Vice President Faisal Naseem.

During the call at the President’s Office on Sunday, the pair engaged in discussions regarding a wide array of topics, including the close bilateral ties between the two countries, Covid-19, decentralization, trade and connectivity, economic cooperation, tourism and agriculture.

The pair expressed commitment to ensure that the relations between both countries, always remain strong.

They also explore ways to further expand cooperation, ahead of an official visit to the Maldives later this year by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

VP Naseem stated that the numerous interactions between the two countries' top officials this year have helped to improve relations.

Expressing joy over the opening of Maldives’ borders, Momen revealed how he admires the government’s determination to vaccinate the entire population, regardless of nationality.

VP Naseem, thanking the generous hospitality received by the Maldivian delegation during his recent official visit to Bangladesh, stated that seeking solutions for human resource needs in the health sector was a key priority of his visit as the need for healthcare staff has noticeably increased with the decentralization efforts of the administration.

He went on to highlight that the government’s decentralization efforts revolve around bringing services closer to the people.

The meeting also saw Maldives’ Foreign Secretary, Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed accepting an invitation by Foreign Secretary Momen, for Maldives to send foreign service staff for training in their newly established Foreign Service Institute.

Foreign Secretary Ghafoor revealed that President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih recently ratified the Maldives Foreign Service Act, paving way for a Foreign Service Institute to be established under the Ministry.

Momen arrived in the Maldives on an official visit on Friday afternoon upon the official invitation of the Maldives foreign secretary.

His visit aims to hold the first bilateral consultations between the respective foreign ministries, as agreed under the ‘Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of Bilateral Consultations’ that was signed between Maldives and Bangladesh during March this year.

The consultation will see both Foreign Secretaries reviewing bilateral cooperation and progress in the implementation of agreements between both countries, as well as discussions on new areas of cooperation.

Foreign Secretary Ambassador Momen is accompanied by a high-level delegation including officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Employment and Ministry of Home Affairs of Bangladesh.

Chief of Protocol Aishath Shaan Shakir and Joint Secretary Fathimath Ghina welcomed the delegation at Velana International Airport on Friday.