‘Bangladesh First’ to guide foreign policy: Khalilur

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman today said the government's "Bangladesh First" policy will guide the country's external relations as he held separate bilateral meetings with his Chinese, Russian and US counterparts in Manila.

The meetings took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in the Philippine capital, said a foreign ministry’s press release here. 

Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir accompanied the Foreign Minister during the engagements.

The meetings covered a broad spectrum of bilateral relations, including trade, investment, energy and connectivity, alongside key regional and international issues.

During the talks, the Bangladesh side underlined that the "Bangladesh First" policy would remain the guiding principle of the country's external relations, reflecting the government's emphasis on safeguarding national interests in its engagement with international partners.

In the bilateral meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the two sides resolved to advance their comprehensive cooperative partnership towards jointly building a China-Bangladesh Community with a Shared Future.

The two foreign ministers discussed further cooperation on the repatriation of forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals, multimodal transport corridors, trade and investment, and energy.

During a separate Bangladesh-Russia bilateral meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov congratulated Khalilur on his election as President of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The two sides also discussed existing Bangladesh-Russia cooperation and agreed to further enhance collaboration in the energy sector.

Later in the afternoon, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio received the Bangladesh Foreign Minister for talks focusing on ways to further strengthen Bangladesh-US bilateral relations.

During the meeting, Khalilur invited Rubio to visit Bangladesh.

The US Secretary of State also congratulated the Foreign Minister on his election as President of the 81st Session of the UNGA.

The separate high-level engagements with China, Russia and the United States underscored Bangladesh's efforts to broaden cooperation with major global powers while pursuing its national interests under the "Bangladesh First" foreign policy approach.

Khalilur is leading the Bangladesh delegation to the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers' Meeting and events marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.