Bangladesh, Vietnam agree to deepen security and economic cooperation

Bangladesh and Vietnam have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening security and economic cooperation, boosting bilateral relations, expanding trade and investment, and jointly combating human trafficking and illegal migration during a high-level bilateral meeting held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The meeting, held on Monday (7 July) in a cordial atmosphere, was led by Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed and Vietnam's Deputy Minister of Public Security, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Long.

At the outset, Salahuddin congratulated the Vietnamese government on the successful conclusion of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam in January 2026 and the election of the country's new leadership for the next five years.

He said Bangladesh's new government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, was keen to further strengthen relations with Vietnam at the bilateral, regional and multilateral levels on issues of mutual interest.

Recalling the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries on 11 February 1973, the home minister said Bangladesh attached the highest importance to its longstanding friendship and multifaceted partnership with Vietnam.

He also expressed satisfaction over the significant growth in bilateral trade, investment, connectivity and people-to-people contact in recent years.

The two sides discussed visa-related challenges faced by Bangladeshi nationals in Vietnam as well as the repatriation process for irregular migrants.

Salahuddin presented specific proposals regarding the return of undocumented Bangladeshi migrants and requested Vietnam's cooperation in addressing the issue.

He also urged the Vietnamese government to simplify and relax visa procedures for genuine Bangladeshi tourists, businesspeople, skilled workers and family visa applicants.

Emphasising closer cooperation between law enforcement agencies, the minister said institutional collaboration between the two home ministries should be strengthened to combat human trafficking, drug smuggling and other transnational crimes.

Noting that bilateral trade had already surpassed $1 billion, Salahuddin expressed optimism that the signing of a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) would help double trade volumes in the near future.

He thanked Vietnam for allowing the import of Bangladeshi potatoes and requested the country to consider importing high-quality Bangladeshi pharmaceutical products at competitive prices.

He also invited Vietnamese businesses and entrepreneurs to invest in Bangladesh, highlighting the country's favourable investment climate.

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The Bangladeshi minister further sought Vietnam's strong support for Bangladesh's bid to become an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner and to secure membership of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

The Vietnamese side assured Bangladesh that the issues raised during the meeting would receive serious consideration and expressed confidence that the longstanding friendship between the two countries would continue to reach new heights.