KENYA AND BANGLADESH HOLD 3RD FOREIGN OFFICE CONSULTATIONS
KENYA AND BANGLADESH HOLD 3RD FOREIGN OFFICE CONSULTATIONS
Kenya and Bangladesh have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and advancing mutually beneficial cooperation across priority areas following the successful convening of the 3rd Kenya–Bangladesh Foreign Office Consultations held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 14th October 2026.
The Consultations were co-chaired by Amb. Josphat Maikara EBS, the Director-General, Political and Diplomatic Affairs, State Department for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya, and Dr. Nazrul Islam, the Secretary, Bilateral Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. The meeting provided an important platform for reviewing the state of bilateral relations, identifying emerging opportunities for collaboration, and charting a forward-looking agenda to deepen cooperation in line with the shared development priorities of the two countries.
Discussions focused on strengthening political and diplomatic engagement, expanding trade and investment, enhancing economic and technical cooperation, deepening security collaboration and strengthening coordination in the multilateral fora.
The two sides underscored the importance of greater private sector participation, enhanced business-to-business linkages, capacity-building exchanges, and the exploration of emerging opportunities across priority sectors, including: manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, textiles and apparel, agriculture, tourism, information and communication technology, shipping and maritime services. Emphasis was also placed on addressing barriers to trade and fostering a more enabling environment for sustainable commercial partnerships.
On security, the Consultations explored opportunities to strengthen cooperation in addressing shared transnational challenges, including, narcortics and human trafficking, piracy, terrorism and violent extremism. Both sides also reaffirmed the importance of South-South Cooperation and continued engagement on matters of mutual interest within the multilateral fora.
In this regard, Amb. Maikara requested the support of the Government of Bangladesh for the candidatures of Lady Justice Professor Phoebe Okowa to be a Judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and Lady Justice Njoki Ndungu to be a Judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC), during the upcoming elections in November 2026. In addition the DG sought Bangladeshi Government support for Kenya's bid to host the Secretariat of the Global Plastic Treaty and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution (ISP - CWP) Secretariat at the the UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi.
On the sidelines of the Consultations, the Kenyan delegation undertook engagements and visits to Akij Industrial Company and Brain Station 23 to explore potential areas of commercial cooperation. These engagements provided an opportunity to gain insights into their respective areas of operation and consider opportunities for partnerships in the manufacturing and ICT sectors . The delegation also visited the Bangladesh Foreign Service Academy to explore prospects for enhanced institutional cooperation and capacity-building exchanges, particularly in diplomatic training.
Through continued engagement and a shared commitment to mutually beneficial partnerships, Kenya and Bangladesh seek to unlock new opportunities for cooperation and further advance their common aspirations for prosperity, stability and sustainable development.