Foreign-Affairs
Dhaka, Tokyo to elevate bilateral ties to ‘strategic partnership’
Bangladesh and Japan want to elevate the bilateral relations to ‘strategic partnership’ level during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s upcoming visit to Japan.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Japan from November 29 to December 1, at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
The planned visit was discussed when the Director General of Southeast and Southwest Asian Affairs of Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Arima Yutaka met Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen in Dhaka on Thursday.
At the meeting, both sides expressed satisfaction at the growing bilateral relations between the two countries.
They particularly highlighted the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Japan in May 2014, when she and the then Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe elevated the bilateral relations between the countries to ‘Comprehensive Partnership’ level, and also the visit of Shinzo Abe to Bangladesh in September 2014, when the two countries forged deeper economic partnership under BIG-B.
Read: PM’s Japan Visit: Dhaka to seek more investment, financing for big projects
Both sides expected that during PM Hasina’s upcoming visit, Bangladesh and Japan would foster deeper economic partnership in terms of development cooperation, trade and investment, human resources development, agriculture, ICT, education, defence dialogue and exchanges, people-to-people connectivity, repatriation of Rohingyas, etc.
The two sides also expressed the desire to enhance cooperation in international fora, including on climate change, UN reforms, disarmament and non-proliferation, etc.
Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh Ito Naoki and Director General (East Asia and Pacific) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also joined the meeting.
The Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan is on a two-day visit to Dhaka to discuss the preparations of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s upcoming visit to Japan.
US opens new commercial service office in Dhaka to boost trade ties
United States on Thursday (October 27, 2022) formally opened a new commercial service office at the US Embassy, which will play an important role in strengthening trade ties between the two countries.
US Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the US and Foreign Commercial Service Arun Venkataraman and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas announced the opening of the office.
“As the United States and Bangladesh celebrate 50 years of bilateral relations, it is an opportune moment to expand upon the strong foundation of our bilateral and commercial relationship,” said Venkataraman.
Read more: 'Media a key tool to promote safe migration'
“The new Commercial Service office here in Bangladesh will play an important role in strengthening trade ties between our countries, and how we support US companies doing business in such a dynamic and fast-growing economy. Trade between our two countries accounts for an estimated $10 billion, showcasing the vast existing and potential opportunities in this country.”
The US Department of Commerce will station a senior Foreign Commercial Service officer at the US Embassy in Dhaka to maximise US export opportunities and work collaboratively with Bangladesh to assist US companies considering entry into or expanding their presence in the Bangladeshi market.
The office will help facilitate one-on-one business counseling, provide tailored export expertise and information on the Bangladeshi market, and work to connect US businesses with potential Bangladeshi partners through business matchmaking and other services.
Read more: Bangladesh a key player in fight against climate change, says British envoy
The US Foreign Commercial Service is the export promotion arm of the International Trade Administration, a bureau of the US Department of Commerce.
The commercial service has an extensive global network consisting of 122 offices around the world and in over 100 US cities.
The new office in Dhaka will increase the number of international markets to 81. Across Asia, the wing will have a presence in 19 markets, including Bangladesh.
Read Currency depreciations risk intensifying global food, energy crisis: World Bank
The International Trade Administration (ITA) at the US Department of Commerce is the premier resource for American companies competing in the global marketplace.
ITA has more than 2,200 employees assisting US exporters in more than 100 US cities and 81 markets worldwide.
'Media a key tool to promote safe migration'
Speakers at a workshop on Thursday said that media can play a vital role in ensuring safe migration in a world where unsafe migration kills people, destroys families and drain resources.
They said migration is a national, international and geopolitical issue responsible handling could help people avoid irregular migration.
The views came at the workshop titled "Migration and Media" organised by International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in cooperation with Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) at a city hotel.
Read:'Migration from Bangladesh to Japan shaped people-to-people contact'
Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley, Chief of Mission, IOM Bangladesh Abdusattor Esoev and DCAB President Rezaul Karim Lotus spoke at the inaugural session moderated by former Foreign Secretary and Senior Policy Advisor IOM Bangladesh Shahidul Haque.
Shahidul conducted a session titled "Global Migration Trends and Issues; Challenges and Options for Bangladesh" while there is another session on "Migration Diplomacy: Bangladesh Perspective" by Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen.
Speaking in the inaugural session, the EU envoy highlighted the power of media and said media plays an important role.
Read:Bangladesh can’t & shouldn’t bear Rohingyas’ responsibility alone: IOM
He appreciated Bangladesh government's efforts to address the challenges in terms of migration management.
Bangladesh as a major country in sending migrant workers has been at the forefront of shaping policy discourse particularly through leading the processes related to the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) and protecting the rights of migrants through national initiatives.
While significant progress has been made in the arena of migration governance and related issues, there is a need to enhance the understanding of key stakeholders including journalists, the speakers said.
Bangladesh a key player in fight against climate change, says British envoy
British High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson said on Thursday that Bangladesh is playing a key role globally to encourage high emitting countries to cut emissions of greenhouse gases while setting the example as a strong resilient nation against the impacts of climate change.
"The UK and Bangladesh partnered closely in the run up to COP26 to raise global ambition, and we continue to work closely to turn commitments into action," he said.
It was great to hear fresh thinking on mitigation, adaptation and climate finance from experts and passionate young people, said the British High Commissioner to Dhaka while speaking at a discussion in the city.
Read:John Kerry admires Bangladesh’s climate change adaptation, mitigation efforts
The British High Commission in Dhaka organised the event with representatives from the government of Bangladesh, policymakers, NGOs, and youth organisations on how to work together in building momentum for solutions to climate change in Bangladesh—one of the most vulnerable countries as a low-lying delta nation in the world.
The discussion was held at the residence of the British High Commissioner where young climate change activists from Bangladesh Youth Environment Initiative (BYEI) shared their ideas with climate experts and policy influencers such as Waseqa Ayesha Khan MP, Chair, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources and Co-Chair, Climate Parliament; Professor Saleemul Huq, Director, International Centre for Climate Change and Development; Farah Kabir, Country Director, Action Aid Bangladesh; and Md Mahbub ur Rahman, CEO, HSBC Bangladesh.
Organised ahead of COP27 in November, the aim of the event was to strengthen UK-Bangladesh cooperation on climate change by exchanging views and practical suggestions for action at all levels.
The chief focus was given to views from young people who will have to face the harsh impacts of climate change in the years ahead more than anyone else.
Read:Climate disasters, debt a vicious cycle, say 58 vulnerable economies
The debate highlighted the difficulties of transitioning to clean energy and the costs of adaptation, particularly among vulnerable countries like Bangladesh.
The UK is committed to working with Bangladesh in tackling the adverse effects of climate change, according to the British High Commission in Dhaka.
The UK government is currently supporting Bangladesh’s work on expanding renewable energy to help meet Bangladesh’s target of 40% of the country’s energy from clean and renewable sources by 2041.
Bangladesh is finalising its National Adaptation Plan, and is calling on developed countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions and keep their commitment in providing financing.
Momen misquoted by media: MoFA
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has said misleading and baseless news quoting Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen sent a wrong message to the people and the government of the US.
Some media outlets ran fake news and scrolls misquoting Momen today after he spoke at the seminar "Sheikh Hasina at the United Nations" organised by the Progressive Columnist Forum of Bangladesh at the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka.
"Following the programme, some media outlets, including newspapers, online portals and television channels, ran news misquoting the foreign minister saying – 'the US economy cannot function without war, the US is a war-mongering country, war keeps the US economy going, and Taiwan next for the US when the Ukraine war ends," the foreign ministry said.
“The US thrives on war, and the country is always setting the stage for war.” Such misleading and baseless news quoting Momen sent a wrong message to the people and the government of the US, the ministry said. "This is very unfortunate and unexpected."
The foreign ministry requested the media outlets to retract the news and run the correct version of Momen's statement.
Saudi Deputy Interior Minister to visit Dhaka November
Bangladesh, KSA to hold JEC talks in Riyadh October 30-31
Energy-rich Saudi Deputy Minister of Interior Dr.Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al-Daoud will visit Bangladesh in the second week of November.
Before the planned visit, Bangladesh and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) will hold the Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting which will be held on October 30-31 in Riyadh.
The Saudi Deputy Minister is likely to visit Dhaka on November 11-12.
Bangladesh and KSA are likely to sign two agreements including security cooperation during the visit.
Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Yousef Essa Alduhailan met Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen at his office in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday.
Foreign Minister Momen expressed readiness and full cooperation from his office in making the visit fruitful.
They exchanged views on various bilateral issues of mutual interests.
The Ambassador expressed satisfaction at the state of excellent bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia which is growing rapidly encompassing various fields including political, economic, defense, manpower, business, trade and investment.
During the meeting, the Foreign Minister and the Saudi envoy discussed and reviewed various issues of the existing and prospective investment initiatives including power and renewable energy sectors and new proposals under consideration from Saudi Arabia to Bangladesh.
The Minister stated that his office was ready to push forward any proposals from the Saudi side in making headways.
While reflecting on the current energy crisis in view of the Russia- Ukraine war, Momen said Bangladesh needed brotherly gesture from Saudi Arabia in meeting its energy need and urged the Ambassador to look into the possible Saudi investment in the LNG sector.
The Saudi envoy stated that he would take up the issue with the concerned Saudi stakeholders.
The Foreign Minister appreciated the progress and development under the present leadership and welcomed the recent appointment of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Congratulating the new leadership for his dynamic role for the Muslim world, he stated that people were looking forward to according a warm welcome to the Prime Minister to Bangladesh.
Welcoming the proposal, the Saudi Ambassador underlined the need for the Minister to undertake a visit to Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Ambassador expressed his gratitude to the Foreign Minister for his continuous support and guidance to take forward the bilateral engagements to new heights including Bangladesh’s valuable support to Saudi Arabia in the multilateral fora.
Three-day Korean film festival to begin in city November 2
A three-day ‘Korean Film Festival-2022’ will begin on November 2 at the National Museum of Bangladesh.
The film festival will open at 5pm with State Minister of Cultural Affairs KM Khalid as the chief guest.
South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-keun will deliver opening remarks.
Prior to the film screening, there will be a short K-pop performance by talented young Bangladeshi students. The film festival is free and open to all.
This year’s festival will feature five movies starting from “Escape from Mogadishu” on Wednesday evening.
This film is based on a real event in the early 1990s in Somalia when South and North Korean embassy staff and their families made a joint perilous escape from the war-torn city.
Other movies include various genres of comedy, romance, action, history, and animation. “The Dude in Me” to be screened on November 3 is a romantic comedy, a story of a weak high school student who has been bullied by a mighty gangster and found their bodies accidentally exchanged.
Another movie on Thursday, “The Battle of Gangsari” is a story of the Korean War in September 1950 during the Incheon Landing Operation by General MacArthur.
Read: Korea Film, Tourism Festival begins in Dhaka Wednesday
Without real military forces to spare 772 very young Korean student soldiers, barely trained, are sent to Jangsari Beach, where they face a heroic fate and discover the value of friendship.
On Friday morning, “Underdog” is an animation depicting the story of a deserted dog who finds shelter with other deserted dogs in a slum being fed by a foreign worker.
The last film to be screened on Friday afternoon, on November 4, is “The Age of Shadows” which is set in the late 1920s during the Japanese colonial rule over Korea.
This movie follows the cat-and-mouse game that unfolds between a group of Korean resistance fighters trying to bring explosives from Shanghai to destroy key Japanese facilities in Seoul and Japanese agents trying to stop them.
India not a strategic rival or competitor for China: Ambassador Jiming
He sees promising outlook, brighter future for Dhaka-Beijing relations
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming on Wednesday said his country does not have any “strategic rivalry or hostility” to Bangladesh’s friendly neighbor India at all.
The envoy said the two countries - India and China can "closely work together" to “resolve any economic, geopolitical and other issues” in this region and beyond.
“We never view India as a strategic rival or strategic competitor of China,” he said while speaking at “DCAB Talk” held at Jatiya Press Club.
Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) organised its flagship programme. DCAB President Rezaul Karim Lotus and General Secretary AKM Moinuddin also spoke at the programme.
Energy Cooperation
Media reported that India and China have been increasingly buying discounted Russian oil as global energy prices remain high.
Responding to a question, Ambassador Jiming said China is an importer of LNG and other products and generally speaking China is not in a good position to export those kinds of products to Bangladesh.
“If there is an emergency situation, I think, as always, China will not sit idle and keep watching,” he said, adding that both sides are in discussion on the possibility of any emergency supply.
Rohingya Crisis
On the Rohingya crisis, Ambassador Jiming said China keeps putting its efforts in pursuing early repatriation, and, at the same time, helps to improve settlement facilities to relieve local sufferings.
“We also appreciate Bangladesh for coping well with the turbulence along the Myanmar border,” he said.
“You need sincere support from the Myanmar side,” he said, adding that they have an Asian way of solving it.
Asked then why the Rohingya issue is not being resolved, he said that China is seriously and sincerely working towards that end. "We are working silently.”
The envoy also talked about debt management, global development initiative, trade and investment issues.
“There is no Chinese debt trap in Bangladesh. There is no Chinese debt trap globally,” he said.
The envoy also said China “never acts against Muslims in the country” and they have no particular reason to hate or discriminate against any group.
“This is totally fake news (what you see in Uyghur). I can tell you with certainty,” he said.
Read: ‘Some misunderstandings can hurt Bangladesh-China relations’
The Chinese envoy said he is personally a “big fan” of India, and he used to travel to many Indian places and made many friends.
He also laid emphasis on resolving all the problems in the region in an “Asian way” and said that is the basic intention of China.
Describing the situation in Europe as “miserable”, Ambassador Jiming said, “Do you want to see what happened in Europe to happen here in our region? I don’t think you want to see that. So, let’s solve all the problems in an Asian way.”
The envoy said his country will continue to work closely with Bangladesh to ensure development, peace and stability in the region.
“China-Bangladesh relations have grown healthily and steadily, and (I) foresee a promising outlook. We are ready to work with Bangladesh for a brighter future,” he said.
The envoy said China wants a "peaceful and stable" Bangladesh as “peace and stability” are preconditions for development.
Any problem, therefore, should be resolved in a democratic and peaceful way, he said, adding that China considers Bangladesh as a "very good strategic partner" and continues to improve the relations with it.
The envoy said that China shares the same views like Bangladesh on the Ukraine issue and highlighted the importance of having dialogue and discussion to resolve problems peacefully.
“We both stand with peace and call for appropriate settlement of the concerns of all through diplomatic channels,” he said.
Read: “If China can excavate Teesta, people’s lives will improve a great deal"
Bangladesh, Qatar sign MoU to boost defence cooperation
Bangladesh and Qatar on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for mutual cooperation in the defense sector.
Lt. Gen. Waker-uz-Zaman, Principal Staff Officer, Armed Forces Division, Prime Minister's Office and Lt. Gen. (Pilot) Salem Hamad Aqeel Al Nabit, Chief of the Armed Forces of Qatar signed the MoU on behalf of Bangladesh and Qatar respectively at the headquarters of the Armed Forces of Qatar.
It is expected that Bangladesh's cooperation in the defense sector with Qatar will increase through the signing of this MoU, said the Bangladesh Embassy in Qatar.
Read: Emir of Qatar likely to visit Bangladesh to take ties to new height
The MoU, signed as part of ongoing efforts to increase cooperation in new areas of bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Qatar, will strengthen the cordial and brotherly relations between the two countries, it said.
The meeting held between Waqar-uz-Zaman andLt. Gen. Al Nabit discussed issues of mutual interest.
The MoU signing ceremony was attended by Ambassador of Bangladesh to Qatar Md Jashim Uddin, Embassy Defense Adviser Brigadier General Md Sajjad Hossain and Chief of Qatar's International Military Cooperation Brigadier Abdul Aziz Al Sulaiti.
PM welcomes Meloni to the club
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has congratulated her Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni on her appointment as the President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic - i.e. prime minister.
"It's indeed a great pleasure to extend my warmest congratulations to you on behalf of the People and the government of Bangladesh on your appointment as the President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic,” she wrote in a letter to Italy's first female prime minister.
Sheikh Hasina also extended heartfelt greetings to the friendly Italian people as they voted for a historic mandate in Meloni's visionary leadership and elected her as their first female leader in the history of Italy, according to a press release of the PMO Tuesday.
“I am confident Italy will find a wider path of economic prosperity under your charismatic stewardship despite all odds and global challenges,” she added.
Read: Togur: The Molasses Made from Watermelon Juice in Bangladesh
Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh and Italy have enjoyed an excellent bilateral relationship since the independence of Bangladesh. The bilateral relations have grown in many dimensions, with particular focus on people-to-people contact in various forms, trade, investment, and common position on issues of international concern.
“We are keen to further proliferate and strengthen the existing relations in more potential sectors, such as agriculture, ICT, civil aviation, and the manufacturing industry, depending on the factors endowment,” she continued.
“As we celebrate the golden jubilee of the establishment of diplomatic relations, I believe it is high time to revitalize the whole gamut of cooperation. In this regard, I look forward to working closely with you during your time in the office ahead,” said the Bangladesh premier.
Sheikh Hasina invited Meloni to visit Bangladesh at her convenience. She conveyed her best wishes to Giorgia Meloni for her good health and happiness and the continued peace, progress, and prosperity of the friendly people of Italy.
Meloni, leader of a far-right grouping under the banner of the Brothers of Italy, took office on October 22.