MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine missions land in Bangladesh ahead of Embassy reopening

Cafiero was joined by executives from several companies seeking further trade opportunities in a market of 170 million people

Two Argentine missions reached Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, during the weekend. First, the one headed by Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero and a group of business people seeking opportunities to capitalize on the reopening of the embassy in the Asian country that so openly celebrated Lionel Messi's team winning the football World Cup.

The other group consisted of fans making good on their promises if the trophy was to be lifted for a third time.

Cafiero led a trade mission in search of export opportunities in a market of 170 million inhabitants, as Argentine prepared to reopen its embassy Monday. Undersecretary of Trade and Investment Promotion Guillermo Merediz said that “we are starting a trade mission with Argentine businessmen and businesswomen to increase exports even more. Argentina already sells to Bangladesh about US$ 730 million per year, and we have the possibility of increasing it. That is why about 20 businessmen from different productive sectors have come, mainly from agri-food, with the sale of alfajores, dulce de leche, and tomorrow they will have more than 300 very important commercial meetings,” he added.

Joining Cafiero were executives from Marolio, Ecofactory, Vetanco, Lipotech, Luna de los Andes, Letis, Santo Pipó, Instituto Nacional de la Yerba Mate (INYM), The Halal Catering Argentina HCB, Havanna, Arcor, Baltazar-Alfa Pampa, Suplefeed, Ronalb, Club Atlético River Plate, and Cargill.

In 2022, bilateral trade with Bangladesh was US$ 765 million. Argentine exports reached US$ 742.9 million and imports totaled US$ 22.1 million, for a trade surplus of US$ 720.8 million.

Meanwhile, a group of Argentine fans reached the Asian country bringing T-shirts and asthma inhalers for people in need, Tiempo Argentino reported. Sebastián Gubia, a 48-year-old architect from La Plata, was among those who kept his words from Qatar 2022. Gubia and his wife Carolina Cheli found out that a Bangladeshi cyclist covered 1003 kilometers, one for each match Lionel Messi played throughout his career -until the final with France. Hence, he brought 1003 T-shirts and was too deliver the inhalers shortly. He was also in touch with future employees of th Argentine Embassy, Tiempo reported.

Meanwhile, a group of fans in the province of Buenos Aires have founded Deportivo Bangladesh and intend to see how far up the Argentine League it can go.