Bangladesh sought stronger energy cooperation with Qatar as Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman led a high-level delegation on a two-day official visit to Doha amid tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and an energy crisis at home.
Rahman held separate meetings with Qatari Energy Minister Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi and Finance Minister Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari in Doha, Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“During the meetings, the two sides discussed issues of mutual interest, with particular focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation in the energy and financial sectors,” the ministry said.
The two sides agreed to establish joint working groups to follow up on the issues discussed and advance mutually beneficial cooperation in these areas.
The visit comes as Bangladesh faces an energy crisis, mainly due to maintenance difficulties at its floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in the Bay of Bengal and declining domestic production.
Bangladesh Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said Monday in Dhaka that it would take at least two years to address the country’s electricity and gas shortages, citing major infrastructure problems in the import-based sector.
The densely populated country of 175 million relies heavily on the Middle East for its energy supplies, importing roughly 95% of its fuel oil and 30% of its gas from the region.
Those supplies have been affected since Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz around March 1. The strategic waterway normally handles about 20 million barrels of oil shipments per day and roughly 20% of global liquefied natural gas trade.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday shared an image depicting the Strait of Hormuz as US territory, days after saying he would declare the strategic waterway part of the US.
Iran, however, has repeatedly said the strait will not reopen unless the US ends its intervention and fulfills the terms of an agreement signed between Tehran and Washington on June 17.
