Foreign Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud revealed that Bangladesh is actively contemplating signing an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with South Korea, aiming to amplify bilateral trade and investment cooperation between the two nations.

During his meeting with Korean Ambassador Park Young-sik at the Foreign Ministry, Hasan Mahmud emphasized the significance of forging new alliances to bolster cooperation with Korea, particularly in light of Bangladesh's upcoming graduation from LDC status in 2026.

Expressing contentment over the 50-year amicable bilateral relations, the foreign minister conveyed gratitude to the Korean government for gifting seven luxurious vehicles to Bangladesh as part of the commemoration.

He lauded Korea for granting preferential market access to numerous Bangladeshi products and acknowledged its substantial investments in Bangladesh, inviting further Korean investments across various sectors such as light engineering, electronics, home appliances, infrastructure development, and ICT.

Hasan Mahmud also appreciated KOICA's efforts in conducting the feasibility study for the Metro Rail Project in Chattogram and urged the ambassador to facilitate necessary funds from the Korean Government for its implementation.

Furthermore, he thanked Korea for expanding the quota for Bangladeshi skilled workers under the Employment Permit System (EPS) scheme, despite Bangladesh falling short of fulfilling the quota last year due to language learning challenges.

In response, the Korean envoy informed about Bangladesh's efforts to address the language barrier by designating two Technical Training Centres (TTC) for language and technology training, supported by Korean assistance.

The minister and ambassador explored avenues for enhancing cooperation in various areas, including Avoidance of Double Taxation, Revision of Air Services Agreement, exchange of high-level visits, and collaboration for modernizing Bangladesh's existing industries, particularly RMG, through direct or joint venture investments in Man-Made Fiber (MMF) and technology exchange.