Hanoi to back Dhaka's bid to join ARF

Hanoi to back Dhaka's bid to join ARF

BANGLADESH: Vietnam on Monday said it would back Bangladesh's bid to join the top security grouping in the Asia-Pacific region, a Bangladesh foreign ministry official said.

The official spoke soon after Vietnam President Tran Duc Luong arrived in Dhaka for his maiden visit to Bangladesh aimed at expanding bilateral trade.

"During talks, Vietnam President Luong told (Bangladesh) Prime Minister Khaleda Zia that his country will back Bangladesh's efforts to join the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)," Foreign Secretary Shamsul Mobin Chowdhury told reporters.

He said the Vietnamese leader was of the view that "Bangladesh is an important player in South Asia and as a member of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) can help developing inter-regional ties."

Bangladesh is seeking to enter the forum as the first step to becoming a dialog partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Chowdhury said the two countries also signed three agreements on avoiding double taxation, agricultural and cultural cooperation.-- AFP