KATHMANDU, APRIL 8

Congratulatory messages have been exchanged between the presidents and prime ministers of Nepal and the People's Republic of Bangladesh to mark the special occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Nepal and Bangladesh established diplomatic relations on 8 April 1972.

On this special occasion, President Bidhya Devi Bhandari extended congratulations to President of Bangladesh Mohammad Abdul Hamid as well as to the government and people of Bangladesh.

President Bhandari recalled that Nepal was one of the first countries to recognise Bangladesh's independence five decades ago and expressed satisfaction with the excellent state of Nepal-Bangladesh relations reinforced by growing cooperation in the areas of trade, tourism, energy, culture and education. She also recalled her state visit to Bangladesh in March 2021 and expressed confidence that Nepal-Bangladesh bilateral cooperation would continue to grow and deepen in the days to come.

Separately, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba sent a congratulatory message to Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina. While extending warm greetings to Hasina, PM Deuba expressed happiness that Nepal and Bangladesh were celebrating the 50th year of the establishment of diplomatic relations. He stated that Nepal and Bangladesh had been advancing collaboration and partnership in trade, tourism, energy, and connectivity, among others, thereby offering new and vast potentials for mutual benefit.

PM Deuba further mentioned that Nepal and Bangladesh had been working in close cooperation - both at the regional platforms such as SAARC, BIMSTEC and BBIN and at the multilateral forums such as UN and WTO - on matters of mutual interests, including climate change, sustainable development, multilateral trade and public health.

Likewise, in his congratulatory message to President Bhandari, Bangladeshi President Hamid expressed satisfaction with the growing trade and economic relations between the two countries. While appreciating the fact that both countries had been maintaining intimate relations, the president of Bangladesh also recalled his official goodwill visit to Nepal in 2019. He also expressed confidence that Nepal and Bangladesh would continue to work together for the attainment of shared vision of prosperity and development for both the countries and peoples.

On the same occasion, Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina, in her congratulatory message to Prime Minister Deuba, mentioned that Nepal's early recognition of Bangladesh as an independent and sovereign nation and subsequent establishment of diplomatic relations was a reflection of close friendship between the two countries.

While highlighting the shared socio-cultural linkages and multitude of commonalities that have developed over the years through mutual support and cooperation between the two countries, Prime Minister Hasina also expressed her commitment to work together with Nepal to further strengthen bilateral ties in the areas of trade, investment, connectivity, energy cooperation and tourism.

A version of this article appears in the print on April 9, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.