ZCZC
BSS-27
KOREAN-PM-ARRIVE
(Corrected–Rerun)
Red carpet rolled out as Korean PM arrives
DHAKA, July 13, 2019 (BSS) – Bangladesh rolled out red carpet as South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon arrived here this afternoon on a three-day official visit for strengthening bilateral ties and exploring new avenues of trade relations.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen received the South Korean premier when he arrived at VVIP terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport here by a special flight at 5.40 pm.
The Korean premier was given a static guard of honor upon his arrival at the terminal.
After the reception ceremony, the Korean premier left the airport for InterContinental Hotel where he will be staying during his visit. Bangladesh is Lee’s first destination as part of his four-nation tour from July 13 to21. He will visit Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Qatar after visiting Bangladesh.
“Lee’s travel to the four countries is aimed at strengthening diplomatic ties with Central Asia and Southwest Asia and pursuing a balanced diplomacy in the Middle East under Seoul’s diplomatic diversification strategy,” media reports said quoting Korean prime Minister’s office.
The South Korean premier will join a dinner with representative of Korean community in Dhaka this evening at the Hotel InterContinental, his place of residence during the visit.
He will start his official visit by showing tribute to the memories of Liberation War martyrs by placing wreaths at the National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar on Sunday morning.
After leaving the Memorial, he will visit YoungoneHitech Sportswear in Savar EPZ and the National Institute of Advanced Nursing Education and Research at Mugdapara in Dhaka.
The Korean premier will hold a bilateral meeting with his Bangladesh counterpart Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Prime Minister’s office (PMO) at 4.30 pm on the same day.
After the bilateral meeting, a number of deals are expected to be signed between Bangladesh and South Korea.
The agreements are likely to be signed between Bangladesh Investment Development Authority and Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA); and the Korea National Diplomatic Academy of South Korea and the Foreign Service Academy of Bangladesh, official sources said.
A document for cultural exchange between Bangladesh and South Korea is also likely to be signed, it added.
After the agreement signing the ceremony, both the prime ministers will deliver ‘joint press statement’.
Before that, Lee will present a keynote speech to Bangladesh-Korea Business Forum organised by FBCCI and KITA at InterContinental Hotel at noon.
After holding meeting with Sheikh Hasina, the Korean Prime Minister will call on President M Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban.
In the evening, he will join a Banquet dinner hosted by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Hotel Pan Pacific Sonogram.
Before leaving the country on Monday, the Korean Prime Minister will pay homage to the memories of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreaths at his portrait at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in Dhanmondi.
Foreign Minister Abdul Momen will see the Korean Premier off at HSIA at 11 am when he will depart Dhaka for Tajikistan by a special flight.
“We will seek their (Korean) investment for producing new products as they are very innovative in manufacturing diversified goods,” Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen told BSS today prior to the arrival of the Korean premier today.
Mentioning that the Korean EPZ (KEPZ) in Chittagong is yet to be fully utilized, Momen said Dhaka will urge the Korean premier to invest more here by taking full advantage of the KEPZ. “We allocated vast land there (KEPZ) for attracting more Korean companies,” he said.
Besides, Momen said, Bangladesh will also seek Korean technical assistance for further improvement of the country’s ICT sector.
Apart from trade and commerce sector, Bangladesh will also seek Korean support in resolving the Rohingya crisis.
“We will definitely discuses the Rohingya crisis. It’s now became our must-talk issue with everyone… Whoever would come here, we will seek their support to resolve the issue (Rohingya crisis),” he added.
BSS/ASG/TA/GA/MMA/2011hrs