<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Bangladesh and Botswana have agreed to identify potential areas of cooperation in agriculture, livestock and fisheries and exchange technical knowledge and expertise in the agriculture sector.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Both sides agreed to continue discussions in agriculture and fisheries at the government, farmers and expert levels.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">State Minister Md Shahriar Alam, who is on a two-day official bilateral visit to Botswana, met with Botswana's Minister of Agriculture Fidelis M Malao in Gaborone Friday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Shahriar was accompanied by the Bangladesh High Commissioner in Pretoria, foreign ministry officials and embassy officials.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Botswana delegation was represented by high officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, including representatives of the fisheries and aquaculture sector.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fidelis said Botswana is connected to many countries of the region by land routes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Botswana government is putting special focus on developing the country's fisheries and aquaculture sectors, he added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Shahriar said his visit to Botswana marked the first foreign ministry delegation visit to Botswana and expressed satisfaction over the conclusion of the visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic and official passports and memorandum of understanding (MoU) on bilateral political consultations between the countries.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He briefed the Botswana side about Bangladesh's achievements in the agriculture sector during the last decade, including the production of food staples, vegetables, fisheries, poultry and livestock, despite having a comparatively low amount of land.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He called on the Botswana side for considering providing contract farming opportunities to Bangladeshi entrepreneurs in the unused agricultural land.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bangladesh already initiated contract farming in other countries in Africa on a low scale, Shahriar added. "Cooperation may be forged among B2B and B2G levels on contract farming."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bangladesh, Botswana agree to share knowledge, expertise in agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Botswana side expressed keen interest in concluding an MoU on cooperation in agriculture and contract farming between Bangladesh and Botswana.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fidelis invited an agricultural expert delegation from Bangladesh to visit Botswana and underlined the need of establishing contacts between the agricultural experts and producers of the two countries.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources proposed building a partnership with Bangladesh in agricultural education areas.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The delegation led by the state minister also had a meeting with the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The university said both sides may exchange knowledge in horticulture, food security, nutrition and veterinary areas.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Shahriar said cooperation may be forged between Bangladesh and Botswana agricultural institutes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Both sides agreed to sign an MoU on cooperation in agriculture and livestock areas and to exchange visits of agricultural experts. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>