Diplomatic Desk:
Philippine Ambassador to Bangladesh Nina Padilla Kinglet paid a courtesy call on State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday (March 10, 2026).
At the beginning of the meeting, the Ambassador congratulated the State Minister for Foreign Affairs on assuming office and conveyed the warm greetings and congratulations of the Philippine government to the newly elected Bangladesh government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. He expressed hope that the bilateral relations between the two countries will further strengthen under the new leadership. In response, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs reiterated Bangladesh’s strong commitment to further strengthening the long-standing friendly relations between Bangladesh and the Philippines.
The Ambassador appreciated Bangladesh’s long-standing support to the Philippine peace process and mentioned Bangladesh’s role in the post-1996 peace agreement period. At the same time, he also appreciated Bangladesh’s contribution to the UN peacekeeping mission.
During the meeting, both sides highlighted the close ties and shared values between the people of the two countries. The Ambassador mentioned the significant number of Filipino citizens living in Bangladesh and recalled the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the maritime sector during the second round of Foreign Office Consultations.
He said that there is a possibility of signing an MoU on nursing cooperation soon. In addition, preparations are underway to sign two more MoUs on labor cooperation and cooperation between the National Defense Colleges of the two countries. There is also a possibility of the Philippine Minister of Agriculture visiting Bangladesh.
The meeting also discussed cooperation in various sectors, including higher education and skill development. In particular, the possibility of cooperation with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) of the Philippines was discussed.
The State Minister for Foreign Affairs said that skill development of youth and employment generation are priorities of the current government. He noted that Bangladesh’s young population can create great opportunities for the Philippines to work as a skilled workforce in healthcare, caregiving, ICT and business process outsourcing (BPO) sectors.
The meeting also discussed the expeditious completion of several outstanding memorandums of understanding (MoUs) related to air transport services, anti-corruption cooperation and cultural exchanges. The Ambassador expressed his interest in organizing the next Foreign Office Consultation on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of Bangladesh-Philippines diplomatic relations next year.
In addition, discussions were held on expanding bilateral trade and investment. The State Minister for Foreign Affairs highlighted the potential for increasing exports in various sectors including pharmaceuticals, jute products, ceramics and ready-made garments in Bangladesh. On the other hand, the Ambassador mentioned the potential for Philippine investment in renewable energy, food processing and agro-processing sectors.
In the meeting, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs requested the Philippine government to continue its cooperation in the legal and investigative process in the case of the theft of money from Bangladesh Bank. At the same time, he also called for a resolution through appropriate legal processes regarding the recent detention of Bangladeshi citizens in the Philippines.
In addition, discussions were held on the creative economy, gaming industry, youth exchange, cultural cooperation, and the possibility of joint participation in international film festivals.
The State Minister for Foreign Affairs also sought the support of the Philippines for including Bangladesh as a sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN.
At the end of the meeting, both sides expressed satisfaction with the positive progress in Bangladesh-Philippine relations and reiterated their commitment to further strengthen cooperation in various fields, including political, economic, and people-to-people contacts.
