Momen urges BIMSTEC to take up instrumental role found in addressing COVID-19
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen over Monday urged BIMSTEC to play an instrumental and pivotal role in addressing social and financial impacts of COVID-19 through establishing a strong partnership and solidarity among its member states.
“A timely and effective response to COVID-19 can allow the BIMSTEC member says to limit the potentially devastating effect on its persons and economy and discover suitable remedies for the pandemic previously caused,” he said.
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is several seven nations of South and South East Asia - Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. These are among the countries, which happen to be reliant on the Bay of Bengal.
The foreign minister was addressing the virtual inaugural session of ‘Bay of Bengal Economic Forum 2021’, organized by South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM) to go over post COVID challenge in your community.
The foreign minister said the BIMSTEC process must produce results which will emerge from more trade and investment backed by transport connectivity in the region resulting in more employment generation for our people.
“It is now important to make all entities of BIMSTEC process fully functional and operational,” he said and emphasized on expediting the implementation of BIMSTEC No cost Trade area and finalize the connection related agreements.
The sectors of cooperation in the fields of agriculture, energy, public health, technology and ICT should be bolstered while more focus ought to be given on emerging non-traditional security threats like COVID 19, he observed.
“Finalizing BIMSTEC FTA (free trade arrangement) and BIMSTEC transport connectivity master plan will help trade and expense in the region resolving unemployment problem,” this individual observed.
He said Bangladesh is celebrating the birth centenary of Daddy of the country Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the charismatic and visionary innovator who first dreamt of obtaining economic and social improvement of the people of this region through dealing with the neighbours.
Regional cooperation continues to be a foreign policy priority of Bangladesh government today, he added.
He recalled that Bangladesh joined as a founding member of BIMSTEC Discussion board born through Bangkok Declaration found in 1997 during the initial tenure of Bangabandhu’s ready daughter Sheikh Hasina while the Prime Minister.
Bangladesh remains focused on regional cooperation through BIMSTEC activity which emerged as you of the main regional forums on Asia, he added.
