Bangladesh and Chinese Yunnan Province yesterday signed four Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) aiming to enhance further cooperation in the areas of agriculture, tourism, energy and education.
The MoUs were signed at a delegation level talk between Bangladesh and Yunnan province last evening at Sonargaon Hotel. Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain and Governor of Yunnan province Qin Guangrong led their respective parties.
At the talks, Bangladesh side reiterated its proposal for setting up of Bangladesh-China direct road and rail-link and said that the Yunnan province authorities have a significant role to set up direct link between the two countries.
Syed Abul Hossain said Bangladesh is very much eager to set up Chittagong-Kunming direct road and rail link and urged the Yunnan governor to pursue the Chinese government to use its good offices to agree Myanmar to join in the venture.
In response, the Chinese governor said the Yunnan province is very much interested to setting up direct road and rail link with Bangladesh and said it needs involvement of third country that is Myanmar.
He hoped that both the countries would work together to pursue Myanmar to join with the connectivity for harnessing the maximum mutual benefit of the people of the countries.
The MoUs signed are: MoU on Agricultural Cooperation, MoU on Civil Aviation and Tourism, MoU on Energy Cooperation and MoU on Educational Exchanges.
Under the MoU on Educational exchanges, Yunnan province will provide 20 full scholarships to Bangladeshi students in different universities and colleges from next year.
Besides, the province will allow Bangladeshi students every year, who will be going for higher studies at their own cost. In that case, the Yunnan province will give scholarship to five students among each 100. The Yunnan province will establish an institute for science and technological research in Bangladesh in the name after Chinese philosopher Confucius.
Under the MoU on civil aviation and tourism, the Yunnan province will provide training to the officials, arrange fairs in Yunnan and Bangladesh.
Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister GM Kader, Land Minister Rezaul Karim Hira, State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Jahangir Kabir Nanok, State Minister for Energy Enamul Haq and high officials of different ministries were present on the occasion.
High officials from Yunnan province and Chinese Ambassador in Bangladesh Zhang Xianyi were also present.
