Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and his Kazakh counterpart Oljas Bektenov on Wednesday discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations and agreed on the need to establish permanent diplomatic missions in each other's capitals to boost cooperation between the two countries.

The discussion took place during a courtesy meeting held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos Forum, in the Chinese port city of Dalian at 10:15am local time, according to a release issued by the Prime Minister's Press Wing.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman stressed the importance of deepening Bangladesh's relations with Kazakhstan and enhancing cooperation in a wide range of areas.

The two leaders agreed that establishing permanent diplomatic missions in Dhaka and Astana will help expand political, economic and people-to-people engagement and create new opportunities for cooperation.

Tarique Rahman also underscored the need for regular interactions between government officials, business leaders and people of the two countries to strengthen mutual understanding and explore new avenues of partnership.

Kazakh Prime Minister Oljas Bektenov expressed optimism about the prospects for greater engagement between Bangladesh and Kazakhstan, particularly in trade and investment.

The two leaders discussed the potential for cooperation in several sectors, including the recruitment of skilled Bangladeshi workers, renewable energy, digital infrastructure, technology, agribusiness and food processing industries.

They also exchanged views on expanding economic cooperation and exploring new areas of investment and commercial partnership between the two countries.

During the meeting, the issue of water diplomacy also came up for discussion.

The Kazakh Prime Minister sought Bangladesh's support for Kazakhstan's proposal to establish a specialised United Nations agency on water diplomacy.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman expressed Bangladesh's support for the initiative and said greater international cooperation is needed to address growing water-related challenges around the world.

The meeting reflected the shared interest of both countries in expanding bilateral engagement and strengthening cooperation in areas of mutual benefit.

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman, Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir and Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon were present during the meeting.

The Prime Minister is vising China at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang.