Argentine businesses looking for trade opportunities in Bangladesh
Following the football World Cup fever, where Bangladeshi fans took to the streets and social media professing their love for the Albiceleste, Argentine businesses are now looking for new partners in Bangladesh to tap into the existing potential.
A business delegation from the South American nation discussed with business leaders from Bangladesh to explore the opportunities during an event organised by the Argentina Embassy in New Delhi at the hotel Intercontinental Dhaka on Tuesday.
Over 30 Argentine businessmen representing food, pharma, veterinary medicine, and football teams, among others, discussed the potential which could be exploited.
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Franco Agustin Senilliani Melchior, head of the Economic and Trade Office and deputy chief of the Mission of the Argentina Embassy in New Delhi, said, "Both countries have a lot of potentials to boost trade ties. There is a huge demand for minerals, including lithium, olive oil, processed food, raw materials of gold, etc. Argentina could be a good option for Bangladesh for importing these products."
Talking with The Business Standard, Dr Guillermo M Trentalance, director technical at Vetanco, an Argentine animal health company, said, "We are here looking for a veterinary medicine business opportunity [here] as our embassy has just opened in Dhaka.
"We are producing some special new vaccines for animals and poultry, which is very unique in the world," he added.
"We have business in Pakistan with some distributors for a few items, but we want to boost it in this subcontinent. We currently function in more than 40 countries across the world, including in Latin America and Africa," said Dr Guillermo.
Dr Chezhian, a director at AMBTU Lifescience, said that Bangladeshi pharmaceutical companies had shown interest in specialised minerals and vitamins.
"Some of them confirmed their interest to import our ingredients," he said, adding that they were also looking for partners for finished goods.
Argentina reopens embassy in Dhaka
Argentina reopened its embassy in the capital's Banani area on Monday, as the demand for an embassy deepened following the Qatar World Cup 2022.
Argentina's victory resulted in an outpouring of massive, heartfelt public support and celebrations across Bangladesh, prompting even Albiceleste captain Lionel Messi to say the support touched him.
Argentina's Minister of Foreign Affairs Santiago Andrés Cafiero and Bangladesh's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam jointly inaugurated the embassy.
Earlier today, the Argentine minister arrived in Dhaka to inaugurate the South American country's new embassy.
The Argentine embassy in Dhaka was closed in 1978. Diplomatic operations, such as visas to travel, have since been handled by the Argentine embassy in India.
At the inauguration ceremony, Shahriar Alam said, "It's a meaningful and joyous moment. It's not just a diplomatic gesture. It's an emotional moment.
"This should be a stepping stone to build better relations between the two countries," said the Argentine foreign minister, acknowledging the enormous love and respect shown by the people of Bangladesh for his country and its footballers.
He said the people of Bangladesh never forgot Argentina but continued to raise Argentine flags, demonstrating their love.
"That's why we humbly came here," Cafiero said, adding the new embassy will create a new channel to continue the relations towards a better future.
"Bangladesh is keen to expand its relations with Argentina, the leading economy in South America, in all possible areas of collaboration in depth and dimension," Shahriar Alam said.
After Argentina won the World Cup football title in December last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sent a congratulatory letter to the country's President Alberto Fernandez.
In response, Argentine President Alberto wrote back, thanking Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
In the letter, Alberto said he believed that the bonds of brotherhood and harmony would bind the people of the two countries by establishing the embassy of Argentina in Dhaka in 2023.
