The fourth Australia-Bangladesh Senior Officials’ Talks (also known as Foreign Office Consultations) were virtually convened on 11 March.  The meeting was led by Australian representative Mr Gary Cowan (First Assistant Secretary, North and South Asia Division, DFAT) and Bangladeshi representative Mr Khondker M Talha (Director General, East Asia and Pacific Wing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

The productive talks reflected the friendship between our two countries.  Australia was one of the first countries to recognise Bangladesh in 1971 and we look forward to celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Bangladesh’s independence this year.  We enjoy a strong trade and development relationship, and continue to partner with Bangladesh as it recovers from COVID-19.

Australia and Bangladesh are seeking to deepen economic cooperation and explore opportunities for closer collaboration to address other common challenges and opportunities in the Bay of Bengal and the broader Indo-Pacific region.