(AseanAll) — During a working visit to Dhaka, Bangladesh, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Arrmanatha Christiawan Nasir, met with the Chief Advisor of the Interim Government / Acting Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Professor Muhammad Yunus on June 3,2025.
The meeting discussed the enhancement of bilateral relations through cooperation in trade, investment, energy, defense, and socio-cultural aspects between Indonesia and Bangladesh. "Jakarta is very eager to deepen cooperation with Dhaka," said Indonesian Vice Foreign Minister Nasir.
The Acting Prime Minister of Bangladesh mentioned that he had visited Indonesia several times before assuming office, and he hopes to strengthen the bilateral relations between Indonesia and Bangladesh based on their close religious, historical, and cultural backgrounds. The importance of people-to-people contact was also discussed, including strengthening cooperation in the tourism and education sectors, as well as additional scholarship recipients for students from Bangladesh who wish to pursue their education in Indonesia. "We need to become close friends," said Professor Yunus.
Regarding the Rohingya issue, the Vice Foreign Minister emphasized the importance of international efforts in responding to the prolonged humanitarian crisis, as well as addressing the crimes of smuggling and human trafficking that have become issues in the migration process of Rohingya refugees to various countries in Southeast Asia. In the meeting, the hope for strengthening cooperation between Bangladesh and ASEAN was also discussed.
In addition to meeting with the Acting Prime Minister of Bangladesh, the Indonesian Vice Foreign Minister also met with Bangladesh's Foreign Affairs Advisor Md Touhid Hossain, and Acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique. The meeting discussed strengthening the Indonesia-Bangladesh bilateral mechanism and various concrete collaborations between the two countries.
Indonesian Vice Foreign Minister Tata also met with Bangladesh Energy Advisor, Md. Fouzul Kabir Khan. They discussed partnership proposals in LNG supply, coal imports, mass rapid transit development, and the railway industry. During the visit to Dhaka, Vice Foreign Minister Tata also had a dialogue with the Head of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), Ashik Chowdury, and discussed various potential expansions by Indonesian companies in Bangladesh.
The series of bilateral meetings of Vice Foreign Minister Tata in Bangladesh concluded with a dialogue with the Chief of Staff of the Bangladesh Army. The meeting discussed strengthening defense cooperation and Indonesia-Bangladesh collaboration in UN peacekeeping missions. Bangladesh expressed hopes for collaboration in strategic industries and showed interest in Indonesian aerospace products.
The working visit of Vice Foreign Minister Tata to Dhaka is part of the visit of the High-Level Economic Delegation (HLED) from Indonesia to Bangladesh.
"The opportunities for cooperation between Indonesia and Bangladesh are very significant." In the future, we need to promote 'Made in Indonesia' and 'Made in Bangladesh' as brands in the region known for their quality and innovation. Let's invest and support each other in economic growth," concluded Indonesian Vice Foreign Minister Tata.
