DOT Desk: Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Jeremy Bruer has said that his country is looking forward to strengthening our defence cooperation with Bangladesh to promote a secure, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region,reports The daily Sun.
“We have established a Defence office in Bangladesh with a resident Defence Adviser to strengthen relationships between the defence forces of our two countries. This development was followed by Bangladesh’s participation in Indo-Pacific Endeavour, one of Australia’s key regional defence engagements, and Australia’s participation in Bangladesh’s International Fleet Review in 2022,” he said.In a message on the occasion of Australia Day 2023 that falls on January 26, Bruer said Australia is proud to have been one of the first countries to recognise the newly independent nation of Bangladesh, in January 1972. Last year, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries.
“Today, I recall with considerable satisfaction that Australia assisted Bangladesh’s admission to the United Nations in December 1971, and with bipartisan support in our parliament. In January 1975, our then prime minister, Gough Whitlam, visited Bangladesh and met his Bangladeshi counterpart, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Father of the Nation,” said the Australian envoy.