Islamabad, Dec 21: Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, expressed the desire to resolve lingering issues stemming from the 1971 war and move forward in bilateral relations during his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday in Cairo. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Developing Eight (D-8) Summit.
According to a statement from the Bangladeshi Chief Adviser’s Office, Yunus emphasized strengthening ties with Pakistan and resolving historical grievances to enable progress. Both leaders agreed to enhance cooperation in trade, commerce, and cultural and sports exchanges. Yunus also highlighted his intent to revive the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), stressing the importance of holding a leaders’ summit, even for symbolic value.
Prime Minister Shehbaz described the meeting as warm and cordial, reaffirming their shared commitment to deepening bilateral and multilateral collaboration. He praised Bangladesh for easing trade and travel restrictions, including the removal of 100% physical inspection of Pakistani goods and abolishing additional clearance requirements for Pakistani visa applicants. Both leaders expressed satisfaction with recent positive developments and emphasized mutual efforts to foster economic, cultural, and people-to-people ties.
At the 11th D-8 Summit, hosted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Shehbaz engaged with leaders from Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Nigeria, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Bangladesh. On the sidelines, he held bilateral discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, and President El Sisi.
In his meeting with Erdogan, Shehbaz reiterated Pakistan’s support for Turkey’s stance on Cyprus, while Erdogan reaffirmed support for Jammu and Kashmir. Both leaders condemned Israeli actions in Gaza and expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people. They also agreed to deepen cooperation in IT, agriculture, and green technology.
During discussions with Iranian President Pezeshkian, Shehbaz called for operationalizing inaugurated border markets and expediting pending projects. Both leaders emphasized solidarity with Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria while welcoming decisions made at the D-8 Summit.
In a meeting with Indonesian President Subianto, the two leaders agreed to enhance economic and commercial ties. Shehbaz expressed Pakistan’s keen interest in engaging with ASEAN and thanked Indonesia for supporting Pakistan’s sectoral partner status and membership in the ASEAN Regional Forum. Both leaders called for a ceasefire in Gaza and reaffirmed their support for the Palestinian cause.
