Staff Correspondent

The trial run of direct coastal shipping between Thailand's Ranong Port and Chattogram Port may take place soon, according to Thai ambassador to Bangladesh Makawadee sumitmor.

The Thai envoy revealed that as she called on Foreign Secretary Md. Jashim Uddin at the foreign ministry on Monday, said a press release here.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Bangladesh and Thailand in December 2021 with the aim of establishing a direct shipping line between Chattogram Port in Bangladesh and Ranong Port in Thailand.

During the meeting, the Foreign Secretary and Ambassador discussed the areas of mutual interest concerning trade and investment, coastal shipping, agro business, tourism and people to people contact.

The Foreign Secretary emphasized holding regular bilateral consultations and finalising pending bilateral instruments at the earliest.

Both expected that the BIMSTEC Summit would take place soon.

Foreign Secretary expressed satisfaction over the activation of the 'Visa Exemption Agreement' for Bangladesh official passports from mid December 2024.

Thai Ambassador Sumitmor informed that Thailand will introduce E-visa Service soon, where the applicants can apply online and receive e-visa electronically.

The Thai envoy mentioned the successful visit of the Thai Trade delegation to Bangladesh in July 2024, which created a positive impact on the Thai businessmen.

Both underscored the necessity of convening 6th Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meeting in Dhaka as soon as possible, highlighting that this would pave the way for Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.

The Foreign Secretary sought Thai cooperation in sharing knowledge, innovation and expertise for promoting and branding Bangladeshi delicious cuisine.

The Thai ambassador congratulated Jashim Uddin on his assumption of the office of the Foreign Secretary and reaffirmed Thailand's commitment to strengthening bilateral ties in the coming days.