Italy is one of Bangladesh's biggest trading partners, with over 200,000 Bangladeshis living there, making it the second largest European country after the UK. Despite having diplomatic ties for over 40 years, the two countries have never held a bilateral meeting. However, the Italian foreign ministry has announced that Vedova will be visiting Bangladesh for a bilateral meeting with his counterpart Md Shahriar Alam. This visit is being seen as a new beginning in the relationship between the two countries, which is described as smooth, growing, and expanding. Additionally, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to visit New Zealand for a bilateral meeting, and Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali will be visiting Portugal for the first time for a similar meeting. These efforts are part of Bangladesh's attempts to strengthen its relations with friendly countries like Italy. "We are now focusing on increasing bilateral talks, which have received a positive response," said a senior official from the foreign ministry who spoke anonymously to bdnews24.com. The official mentioned that a wide range of bilateral issues will be discussed during the meeting. Bangladesh's exports to Italy have exceeded $1.3 billion in the last fiscal year, which is a 30% increase from the previous year. Dhaka and Rome have similar perspectives on various international matters such as counter terrorism and climate change. The Prime Minister participated in the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Italy last October. Her Italian counterpart has invited her to attend the upcoming 'Expo Milano' from May 1 to Oct 31, which is expected to be the largest show in the world. The official also mentioned that the Prime Minister has extended an invitation to her Italian counterpart, indicating that the relationship between the two countries is moving in a positive direction.