Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today invited President of South Korea to visit Bangladesh at a convenient time as the two countries explore ways to further strengthen bilateral trade and investment cooperation. 

He made the invitation during his meeting with South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo at the Cabinet Division of Bangladesh Secretariat here this afternoon, said Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Shadhin.

At the outset of the meeting, the South Korean trade minister briefed the Prime Minister on the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Bangladesh and South Korea.

He said the agreement, once signed and implemented, would further expand bilateral trade and economic cooperation between the two countries while significantly increasing South Korean investment in Bangladesh.

The trade minister said many South Korean companies are already operating successfully in Bangladesh and many more are interested in investing in the country in the coming years.

Welcoming greater South Korean investment, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman invited the South Korean entrepreneurs to invest in Bangladesh’s toy, electronics, telecommunications, automobile, semiconductor and shipbuilding sectors.

The Prime Minister said South Korea has advanced expertise in the shipbuilding industry, while Bangladesh possesses a promising workforce for that sector. 

He said South Korea could establish training centres in Bangladesh to provide technical and language training to Bangladeshi workers for employment in the Korean shipbuilding sector.

He also assured that the Bangladesh government would extend necessary support if South Korean companies invest in the country’s shipbuilding industry.

During the meeting, the Bangladesh side also informed the visiting minister about the plan to organise a seminar in Bangladesh engaging South Korean companies to explore new investment opportunities.

The South Korean trade minister was also briefed on the government’s various initiatives to ensure an investment-friendly environment in Bangladesh, said DPS Shadhin.

Yeo Han-koo said the proposals put forward by Bangladesh would further strengthen future relations between the two friendly countries.

Commerce, Industries, Textiles and Jute Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, Prime Minister's Adviser on Finance and Planning Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, among others, were present at the meeting.