Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has said one country should not be deprived of its due share, as geographies have destined them to take benefit of nature, including rivers.
"We should be mindful that issues of domestic politics should not hurt the sentiment of the majority of people of other countries," he said while sharing a number of proposals for long-lasting friendship between South Asian countries and sustaining peace in the region.
Momen said South Asia has one of the lowest levels of intra-regional trade anywhere in the world due to prevailing trade barriers.
"A country should not abruptly impose tariff and non-tariff barriers to offset the prospects of trade," he said, adding that trade is the engine of growth and goes hand-in-hand with investment.
Momen said all countries should remove restrictions on investment from one country to another country to promote economic and trade prosperity.
He was delivering a public lecture on "Promoting Culture of Peace for shared prosperity: A vision for South Asia" at the Vivekananda International Foundation in India's New Delhi Wednesday evening.
Emphasising track 2 engagements to promote regionalism, the foreign minister said since the region is "very volatile" and at times, "full of emotions," the intelligentsia, including scientists, economists, litterateurs and journalists can make a positive and valuable contribution in "negating any propaganda" and in formulating sound and constructive programmes for the good and well-being of the region.
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"We need regional peace and stability to prosper and sustain. Therefore, we should promote dialogues among various strata of people, especially academicians, opinion builders and think tanks," he said.
Momen said there is an undisputed recognition that the destinies of the neighbouring countries are intertwined, that the stability and prosperity of the region are inextricably linked with each other and that the future of the region can best be served by strengthening mutually beneficial relations with each other.
He said the roots of regional cooperation lie in the realisation of social and economic benefits of the peoples of the region irrespective of existing divergences in the political, social and economic performances of any country.
"It is more important to promote cooperation rather than division," Momen said.
Vivekananda International Foundation Director Arvind Gupta and current and former diplomats, including Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Md Mustafizur Rahman were present.