The 8th Commerce Secretary Level Meeting (CSLM) between the Royal Government of Bhutan and the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh was convened from 13-14 September 2022, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The Bhutanese delegation was led by Mr. Karma Tshering, Secretary, Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Bangladeshi delegation was led by Mr. Tapan Kanti Ghosh, Senior Secretary, Ministry of Commerce. The CSLM reviewed the progress in the areas of trade and economic cooperation since the last CSLM held in 2019. Both sides noted that trade and economic cooperation had been adversely affected by the pandemic and committed to work towards the strengthening of bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
The meeting, among others, 1) Endorsed the Agreement on Movement of Traffic-in-Transit and its Protocol for signing; 2) Endorsed the renewal of the MoU on the use of inland waterways 3) Endorsed the signing of the amended SoP with regard to the MoU on the use of inland waterways 4) Endorsed to proactively enforce the Preferential Trade Agreement; 5) Agreed to issue necessary notifications for the use of Sonarhat, Gobrakura, Koraitoli and Akhaura by Bhutan and 6) Agreed to enhance engagements among trade associations, in standards and certification matters, in agriculture through the renewal of existing MoUs, in tourism through the existing MoU and in trade facilitation.
On the sidelines of the CSLM, the leader of the Bhutanese delegation called on the Minister, Ministry of Commerce and also met with the Secretary, Power Division, Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources and discussed matters of mutual interests.