Bangladesh and Indonesia signed a visa exemption agreement for diplomats and government officials of the two countries.
The agreement was signed at the two-day 2nd session of the Joint Commission Meeting, which also agreed in principle to consider negotiation on arrival visa and visa exemption facilities for normal passport holders of both the countries as the next step of cooperation in consular matters.
This agreement would allow officials of the two countries to visit and stay up to 30 days in one another's territory without having to applying and acquiring for a visa beforehand.
Both sides stressed the need for concluding such agreements for enhancing people-to-people contact to increase tourism, trade and commerce and investment between the two countries.
On August 8-9, Bangladesh Ambassador to Indonesia Golam Mohammad signed the agreement on behalf of the government of Bangladesh in the picturesque city of Bukittinggi, Indonesia. Business delegations from the two countries attended a business session on August 8.
As per a meeting decision, next Joint Commission Meeting to be led by foreign ministers of both the countries will take place in Bangladesh, according to a message received here yesterday.
Officials of both sides discussed the entire range of bilateral relations between the two countries in various sectors, including trade, banking, civil aviation and tourism, investment and industry, agriculture, shipping, energy and mineral resources, science and information & communication technology, training and technical assistance, culture, consular matters and defence and security.
Economic Relations Division Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan led the Bangladesh delegation at the meeting, which was attended by Ambassador Golam Mohammad and senior officials from different ministries.
TM Hamzah Thayeb, director general for Asia Pacific and African Affairs of the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, led the Indonesian side.