DHAKA, Feb 2, 2024 (BSS) - Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has invited his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina to pay an official bilateral visit to Hanoi. 

The formal invitation was handed over to foreign minister Dr Hasna Mahmud by his Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son at a bilateral meeting today on the sideline of the 3rd Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum being held in Brussels, a foreign ministry's press release said here. 

During the meeting, the Vietnamese foreign minister also invited Hasan Mahmud to visit Hanoi to further strengthen the 5- year-long friendly relations between Bangladesh and Vietnam.   

The two foreign ministers discussed on various matters related to mutual interest and bilateral issues. 

They also discussed on the ways to expand trade and investment cooperation between the two countries. 

Noting that repartition of the farcically displaced people to Rakhine is the only solution of the Rohingya crisis, Hasan Mahmud urged Vietnam to mount pressure on Myanmar regarding the matter. 

High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell chaired the forum.

The EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum brought together the EU and its Member States with countries from the East coast of Africa in the West to the Pacific islands in the East.

The foreign minister will return to Dhaka Sunday evening.