Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed the hope that Bangladesh’s ties with Hungary will reach its full potential.
Her remarks came in a joint statement on Tuesday after a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
“We want to see a world which is free from poverty, hunger, injustice and inequality. We are obligated to build a peaceful world for our children. Our common resolve is to work together for shared prosperity of our peoples through mutually beneficial economic cooperation,” said Hasina.
Bangladesh has signed three MoUs with the European country to boost cooperation in water management and agriculture and between the two countries’ foreign offices.
Hungary was the first European country to recognise Bangladesh as an independent nation following the 1971 War of Independence.
“The people and government of Hungary also expressed solidarity with our Liberation War in 1971. I firmly believe that my visit will provide the much needed impetus to revive our relations to its full potential,” said the prime minister.
Hasina lauded Hungary over its ‘successful transformation as a trade and manufacturing centre for Central and Eastern Europe’.
“I take this opportunity to applaud Hungary on the remarkable gains it has made in its political and economic transition over the last 25 years or more.”
She thanked the Hungarian government for hosting the Budapest Water Summit 2016, which she said had ‘turned out to be an important global forum.’
The Bangladesh leader also sought her Hungarian counterpart’s ‘active support’ on her proposal for a Global Fund for Water SDGs.
The prime minister said she had also discussed the current global issues of terrorism and violent extremism, migration and refugee crises and climate change during her meeting with Orbán.
“Bangladesh maintains a ‘zero tolerance’ policy against terrorism. We vow to fight this global menace together with the international community,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said she and Hungary’s leader had agreed that there was much scope for Bangladesh and Hungary to ‘deepen bilateral cooperation in trade and investment.’
“Today, high-powered business delegations from both sides will exchange views and have the chance to look deeper into the trade and investment opportunities available between our two countries.”
The prime minister arrived in Budapest on Sunday on a three-day visit to attend the Water Summit. She is expected to return to Dhaka on Wednesday.
Source: Bd news24
