DHAKA: The maiden meeting of foreign secretary level between Bangladesh and Japan was held in the city on Thursday.

Bangladesh foreign secretary M Shahidul Haque and Japan deputy minister for foreign affairs Shinsuke Sugiyama led their respective countries.

Moreover, after the meeting, the visiting minister made a courtesy call on Bangladesh foreign minister AH Mahmood Ali.

Sources said that, besides, the whole gamut of bilateral relations, they discussed about other regional and international issues at the meeting.

However, during the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Japan on May 25-28 of 2014 and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to Bangladesh on September 6-7 of 2014, both premiers agreed to hold regular FOC (Foreign Office Consultations) on bilateral relations and other issues at the foreign secretary level.

As agreed upon, the FOC would take place regularly in future.

The FOC is being viewed as an important component of the “Comprehensive Partnership” established between two countries during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Japan in May 2014.

Moreover, the visiting Japan deputy foreign minister Sugiyama is expected to call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister’s Advisor on International Affairs Dr Gowher Rizvi and Senior Secretary of Prime Minister’s Office M Abul Kalam Azad.

BDST: 1732 HRS, FEB 05, 2015