Shawdesh Desk:

Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday called for opening a ‘new page’ in the relations between Rome and Dhaka, saying Italians are friends of Bangladesh.

‘Let’s try to open a new page in our relationship,’ said the Italian prime minister when she met with chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on the sideline of the annual UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters.

Professor Yunus gave a brief outline of the student-led mass uprising, which, he said, had created new opportunities in Bangladesh, pressing ‘the reset button’ for the entire nation.

Meloni said Italy would support the Professor Yunus-led interim government in its move to carry out vital reforms in key sectors.

‘Absolutely, you can count on us,’ she was quoted by the chief adviser’s press wing as saying.

The chief adviser has urged the Italian leader to formalise migration from Bangladesh, paving the way entry of more Bangladeshi workers in Italy through the legal channels, which he said would cut risky illegal migration.

Meloni agreed, saying both nations should work together to stop irregular migration and conduct training for people planning to work in Italy.

Energy and power adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan and senior secretary Lamiya Morshed and chief of protocol Khandaker Masudul Alam were present during the meeting.