The Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations in New York and the concurrently accredited Bangladesh Ambassador to Peru with residence in New York, Ambassador Muhammad A Muhith, presented his credentials to the President of Peru Dina Boluarte 08 February 2024 at the Government Palace on Lima, the capital of the Republic of Peru.
During the presentation of credentials, Ambassador Muhith conveyed the greetings of the President and Prime Minister of Bangladesh to the President, the Government, and the people of Peru. “I shall make every effort to strengthen the existing friendly bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Peru, based on our shared values and mutual benefits ‘, said Ambassador Muhith during the ceremony.
Referring to the recently held general elections in Bangladesh that led to the formation of the new Cabinet under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Ambassador Muhith mentioned that the right momentum existed now to expand the bilateral relations between the two countries. He mentioned that there is huge potentials to further deepen the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Peru, particularly in the field of trade, commerce, and sustainable development including through South-South cooperation, and also opportunities to work together in the multilateral platforms, such as, in the United Nations on peacekeeping and peacebuilding, climate change and social justice. The President wished Ambassador Muhith well and expressed her hope that the bilateral relations would be further expanded during his tenure.
Following the presentation of his credentials, Ambassador Muhith held separate courtesy meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Javier González-Olaechea Franco, the Minister of Trade and Tourism Juan Carlos Matthews and General David Guillermo Ojeda Parra, the Chief of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces of Peru. Ambassador Muhith also had a bilateral meeting with the Director General and other officials of the Department of Asia and Oceania at the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During these meetings both sides exchanged information on possible avenues to increase trade and commerce as well as cooperation in many fields, especially in peacekeeping and peacebuilding where Bangladesh can potentially share its knowledge, experience, and technology with Peru. It may be noted that Bangladesh has recently decided to donate a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to the Armed Forces of Peru which would be used by the Peruvian peacekeepers in MINUSCA. The handover ceremony is expected to take place in Dhaka sometime in April.
The Peruvian authorities praised Bangladesh’s development efforts and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visionary leadership at the domestic and global levels. The Ambassador mentioned that bilateral relations between the two friendly nations could be enhanced through regular bilateral consultations, exchange of business missions, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people contact. In this regard, the two sides decided to swiftly conclude a mechanism for regular political consultation, such as Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between Bangladesh and Peru, which could be a platform for advancing overall bilateral cooperation between the two friendly nations. Ambassador Muhith also proposed for high-level exchange of visits between the two countries, and extended invitations to the President, and the other Ministers of Peru to visit Bangladesh at their earliest opportunity.
Ambassador Muhith was accompanied by his lady wife Mrs. Ruby Parveen and Shahanara Monica, Minister at the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations.