Khalilur meets Pakistan's Ishaq Dar, vows closer cooperation

Bangladesh and Pakistan on Thursday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, welcoming growing people-to-people exchanges and improved connectivity through direct flights during talks between their foreign ministers in Manila.

The meeting between Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman and Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar took place on the sidelines of the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Ministerial Meeting in the Philippine capital.

During the talks, the two leaders agreed to maintain the positive momentum in bilateral relations and further expand cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

They also welcomed the growing exchanges between the people of the two countries and the resumption of direct flights, describing improved connectivity as an important step towards strengthening bilateral engagement.

Dar congratulated Khalilur on his election as President of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The meeting follows a series of high-level diplomatic engagements by Khalilur on the sidelines of the ARF Ministerial Meeting, where he has held bilateral talks with counterparts from the United States, Russia, China, India, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

Bangladesh and Pakistan have witnessed renewed diplomatic engagement in recent months, with both countries expressing interest in expanding cooperation in trade, connectivity and multilateral forums while seeking to strengthen bilateral ties.