<div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev today said his country is keen to deepen ties with Bangladesh and take bilateral relationship to a new height.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He expressed the interest as he met Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines of the COP29 global climate conference in Azerbaijan capital Baku, according to a message received here.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Azerbaijan president said a high-level team of the Azerbaijani government will visit Bangladesh early next year in a move to sign a comprehensive arrangement deal with Dhaka.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He said his country was keen to invest in Bangladesh and was exploring the possibility of opening an embassy in Dhaka as both nations see increasing opportunities for trade, commerce, and international cooperation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Aliyev also praised the student-led July August revolution, saying he has been following events in Bangladesh for months.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He congratulated Prof Muhammad Yunus for assuming the leadership of the interim government of Bangladesh and said Bangladesh will grow and prosper under his leadership.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Your task is very challenging. But I know you are the one who can face the challenge," President Aliyev said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Chief Adviser Prof Yunus also called for stronger ties between the two nations.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He said both nations could prosper if there were increased bilateral trade, people-to-people interactions, and cooperation in major international forums.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Prof Yunus also stressed job opportunities for more Bangladeshis in the oil-rich central Asian nations.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hundreds of Bangladeshis have found jobs in the shipbuilding industry in the country in recent years.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">President Aliyev said Azerbaijan has fought corruption through the digitalisation of its services. He expressed his interest in sharing their digitalisation experiences with Bangladesh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Lutfey Siddiqi, Special Envoy to the Chief Adviser; Lamiya Morshed, Senior Secretary and Principal Coordinator of SDG Affairs; and M. Amanul Haq, Bangladesh ambassador to Turkey and Azerbaijan; also present at the meeting.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>