DHAKA: Saudi Arabia will take all measures possible to stabilise oil prices in the global market, said Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud today following the first political consultation of the kingdom with Bangladesh.
He said this following his meeting with Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.
The statement came when global oil prices are skyrocketing with the US and other western countries slapping sanctions on Russian energy supplies.
The Saudi foreign minister also told media that Riyadh and Dhaka will work together to boost security and multidimensional relationship.
He said that 20 Saudi companies are interested in investing in the special economic zones of Bangladesh.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said that the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding between the Bangladesh Foreign Service Academy and Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal Institute.
Momen said that he requested the Saudi side to complete all the operations of Hajj visas in Bangladesh and the Saudi minister has assured him of it.
Momen also thanked his Saudi counterpart for vaccinating all the Bangladeshi workers in the Gulf country, which is home to some two million Bangladeshis.
Earlier in the morning, the Saudi foreign minister called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Gono Bhaban.
Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud arrived in Dhaka on a two-day visit.
The two countries ‘are fully aligned’ on the idea ‘to expand partnership’ between the two countries in various fields, he said.
Among the issues that came up for review and discussion were increased bilateral trade and investment, recruit of skilled manpower, Hajj management, education, health, environment and climate change, ICT and tourism.
Saudi foreign minister stressed the need for enhancing collaboration in trade and investment and stated that some Saudi companies had already invested in some sectors in Bangladesh and some other companies are considering greater engagement in various areas.
He sought policy and institutional support from the Bangladesh side.
The Saudi foreign minister also suggested that launching a joint business forum and exchange of business delegation between the two countries, could augment bilateral trade and business.
Bangladesh foreign minister expressed his keenness to scale up the level of engagement from friendship and cooperation and proposed a time-bound roadmap to enhance the relationship.
He identified six new areas of engagement for future collaboration, namely, collaboration and partnership with Saudi Green Initiative undertaken by the Saudi crown prince in planting 10 billion trees in Saudi Arabia and 50 billion trees across West Asia, Saudi investment in Bangabandhu Industrial City [Exclusive Economic Zone] in Chattogram, investment by leading Saudi companies in development of tourism and hotel industry and in the IT sector, contract farming in third countries for agro-production to attain food security and developing skills training programme in Bangladesh at Saudi initiative.
