The Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh, Masud Bin Momen, arrived in Kathmandu on Tuesday to participate in the Third Round of Nepal-Bangladesh Foreign Office Consultations.
Welcoming him at Tribhuvan International Airport were Bhrigu Dhungana, Joint Secretary (South Asia Division) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ghanshyam Bhandari, Ambassador of Nepal to Bangladesh.
Scheduled for Wednesday (today), the third round of consultations will involve discussions on various areas of cooperation between Nepal and Bangladesh.
Leading the Nepali delegation will be Foreign Secretary Sewa Lamsal, accompanied by officials from different ministries of the Government of Nepal.
However, the long-awaited bilateral preferential trade agreement (PTA) will not be on the agenda for the meeting.
Despite previous agreements, the issue remains unresolved due to disagreements over tariffs and other duties. While Nepal has been pushing for the removal of these additional charges on its exports to Bangladesh, discussions on the matter have yet to yield a resolution.
Efforts to bolster trade ties include exploring alternative markets and enhancing transit facilities. Bangladesh’s provision of duty-free access to certain Nepali products has been appreciated, yet Nepal seeks further expansion of this list to include more exportable items.
While challenges persist, both countries recognize the importance of strengthening bilateral relations and exploring avenues for mutually beneficial trade and connectivity.
