Argentina to reopen embassy in Bangladesh after four decades

The Argentine government has announced the country would reopen its embassy in Bangladesh after 40 years, a decision most likely boosted by the South Asian country's support for Lionel Messi's team playing the football World Cup in Qatar.

Argentine Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero said he will make a trip to Bangladesh to finalise the details after participating in the G20 Foreign Ministers' Summit in India next year, reports South Atlantic News Agency Merco Press.

The Latin football powerhouse and star forward Messi have a huge fanbase in Bangladesh. The decision of reopening the embassy comes at a time when their celebration for each of the wins of Argentina in the World Cup grabbed global attention.

On December 10, Cafiero tweeted in Spanish, saying Argentina will promote the project to reopen the embassy, closed since 1978, in Bangladesh.

In August this year, the Argentine foreign minister met with his Bangladeshi counterpart AK Abdul Momen to promote bilateral cooperation. In that meeting, both diplomats agreed there was “wide potential for trade growth.”

Argentine exports to Bangladesh last year amounted to $876 million, an all-time high, Cafiero said in another tweet. The leading products were soybean byproducts, corn, and wheat, according to the news agency.

In a statement, the Argentina foreign ministry said, “With the reopening of the Embassy and its consular section, we seek to exploit the potential of the bilateral relation, mainly in the commercial aspect, which has a wide potential for growth, seeking to diversify trade and the Argentine exportable offer.

“Likewise, to promote cooperation in the sports, satellite, humanitarian aid, and disaster management fields."