DHAKA, Feb 27, 2023 (BSS) - Foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen today said Bangladesh wants to include itself into South America's powerful economic bloc Mercosur consists Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay as full members.

"They (Argentina) are now president of Mercosur ...(while) we have submitted our petition to be a member of Mercosur ... If we would be there (Mercosur) our trade (in Latin America) would be increased in a great extend," he told after a meeting with Argentine Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship Santiago Andres Cafiero.

The foreign minister was speaking at a joint press briefing along with Cafiero at the state guest house Jamuna in the capital this afternoon.

The foreign minister said he requested his Argentine counterpart to facilitate Bangladesh's membership at the Mercosur.

Momen said that Bangladeshi products would face less tariff barriers in the South American market if Dhaka can manage its membership at that trade alliance which also consists of Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru and Suriname. 
 
He said Dhaka urged Buenos Aires to import different more Bangladeshi made products like RMG and pharmaceuticals while Bangladesh wanted to import edible oil from Argentina. 
 
Momen said they also discussed how to expedite cooperation between the two countries under the spirit of South South cooperation. 

The foreign minister expressed his happiness that Argentina opened its mission in Dhaka and said now it's Dhaka's duty to open Bangladesh's mission in Argentina to enhance trade and commerce relations as well as increase people to people contacts. 
 
After the bilateral talk, Bangladesh and Argentina sides signed three Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) including visa exemption on diplomatic and official passports. 

The other two MoUs are on Argentine support, cooperation on development of Bangladesh football and cooperation between the two countries foreign service academies. 
 
Earlier, the Argentine Foreign Minister formally inaugurated the new embassy at Banani in the capital along with State Minister for Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam amid a jammed packed media crowd. 

 
"It is a stepping stone to make a better relationship (between Bangladesh and Argentina)", the Argentine foreign minister said.

He expressed his country's gratitude to the people of Bangladesh for enormously supporting the Argentina football team during the last FIFA World Cup.

Argentina is reopening its embassy here 45 years after the embassy was closed here in 1978 by the military junta that ruled the country during that time.

Since then, diplomatic operations, such as visas in order to travel, have been handled by the Argentine embassy in India.

The Argentina foreign ministry said with the reopening of the embassy and its consular section, it wants to use the potential of the bilateral relationship, mainly in the commercial aspect that has a wide potential to diversify trade.

It will be the first time that a South American foreign minister visits Bangladesh, a nation with which they share half a century of diplomatic relations, it added. 

On Tuesday, the Argentine minister will pay homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing a wreath at Bangabandhu memorial museum at Dhanmondi and he is also scheduled to call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Cafiero will also meet Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi and visit the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) within the framework of affection and the passion that Bangladeshi fans showed for the Argentine team during the last FIFA World Cup.