Dhaka/Seoul, August 27 (HS): Bangladesh and South Korea have agreed to advance their existing political and development cooperation while exploring fresh avenues for a long-term strategic partnership. The understanding was reached during the fourth round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) held in Seoul on Tuesday, the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

According to a report by The Daily Star, the talks were led by Dr. Nazrul Islam, Secretary (East & West) at Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and First Vice Minister Park Yoon-joo of the South Korean Foreign Ministry.

South Korea is Bangladesh’s fifth-largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), with investments worth $1.3 billion. More than 200 South Korean companies, including electronics giant Samsung, have a significant presence in Bangladesh. Meanwhile, nearly 20,000 Bangladeshis reside in South Korea, the majority being migrant workers and their families.

During the consultations, the delegations discussed wide-ranging issues encompassing political and economic cooperation, trade and investment, human resource development, infrastructure building, relocation of Korean electronics and semiconductor plants to Bangladesh, energy collaboration, and security affairs. The Rohingya refugee crisis also featured prominently on the agenda.

The two sides identified new areas of collaboration in science and technology, artificial intelligence, renewable energy transition, biotechnology, fisheries, climate change, agricultural mechanization, and the modernization of seaports and shipyards.

Seoul reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Bangladesh’s large-scale infrastructure projects through both loans and grants. The Korean side also commended Bangladesh for hosting Rohingya refugees, pledging continued humanitarian support as well as assistance toward their safe and early repatriation to Myanmar.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar