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Stronger diplomatic ties with Uzbekistan in focus

Diplomatic Correspondent
Opening of an embassy in Dhaka and resumption of direct airlines will be the top of the agenda for discussion in the meetings between government high-ups and a high-level delegation of Uzbekistan on Thursday.
Ganiev Elyor Majidovich, minister of foreign economic relations, investments and trade of Uzbekistan, will lead the delegation.
The Uzbek team will also aim to exploit new avenues of commerce and cooperation in their three-day visit to Bangladesh beginning from Wednesday.
The delegation will call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and hold meetings with Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam and chamber leaders.
Diplomatic ties between Bangladesh and Uzbekistan were established in 1996 when Dhaka opened its embassy in Tashkent.
As gesture of opening of Bangladesh mission, Uzbekistan began Dhaka-Tashkent direct flight in 1997 but it was stopped in 2005, as flight operation was not commercially viable.
Dhaka is considering the upcoming visit important as the visit of a cabinet minister from Uzbekistan is taking place after 16 years with the intention to open its full-fledged embassy in Dhaka and establish connectivity through Uzbekistan Airways.
Official said there have been few visits at the foreign and commerce ministers level in between 1998-2010 despite having huge potential for expansion of bilateral interactions and commercial interests in the region.
The two countries on 18 July, 2000 signed an agreement on the reciprocal protection and promotion of investments.
A memorandum of understanding was signed on trade and economic cooperation between the two in May 2012.
Foreign ministry officials said Tashkent is now eager to strengthen its bilateral ties with Dhaka as the trade between the two countries is increasing gradually and Bangladesh is Uzbekistan's eighth largest trading partner in the cotton sector.
Dhaka imports around 40 percent of cotton from Uzbekistan. Though cotton being Uzbek's largest export item, officials said there is considerable scope for further enhancing bilateral cooperation.
In 2012-13, Bangladesh exported goods worth $6.51 million and important goods worth $539.39 million.