summit
Bangladesh for strong statement against interference in countries’ internal affairs at upcoming G-77 Summit
Bangladesh has stressed the need for strengthening the G-77 forum under the current presidency of Cuba and for coming up with a strong statement against interference in the internal affairs of other countries at the upcoming G-77 Summit.
The Summit will be held in Havana in September 2023 to promote and safeguard the interests of developing countries.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to Canada, Dr. Khalilur Rahman, presented his credentials — as concurrent Ambassador to the Republic of Cuba — to Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez at the Presidential Palace in Havana on Saturday (April 15, 2023).
The Ambassador received a guard of honour from the presidential guard at the palace.
Read more: Want security in the region but no defence pact: Momen on Indo-Pacific Strategy
After the presentation of the letters of credence, a discussion was held with the Cuban president in presence of Bruno Eduardo Rodríguez Parrilla, foreign minister of Cuba.
The president of Cuba highlighted the long-standing and friendly bilateral relations laid down by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Cuban Revolutionary leader and its former president Fidel Castro.
He also highlighted the bond of existing friendship ever since diplomatic relations were established between the two countries. He deeply appreciated Bangladesh’s support to Cuba in different international organizations and looked forward to continuing collaboration between the two countries.
On his part, the ambassador also recalled the support of the Cuban people and its government led by the revolutionary leader Fidel Castro during Bangladesh’s war of liberation in 1971, and personal friendship between Bangabandhu and Castro.
Read more: US wants Bangladesh to set a strong example of free, fair election
The ambassador specifically mentioned that in recognition to the support to Liberation War by revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, the Government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina awarded him ‘Bangladesh Liberation War Honour’ on March 24, 2013.
PM underlines a roadmap to turn Bangladesh into an aviation hub
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday (March 22, 2023) stressed the need for preparing a roadmap aimed at making Bangladesh an aviation hub in the region.
“Reaping on the dividend of our geo-strategic advantage, we should create a roadmap as to how we can make our country an aviation hub,” she said in a video statement aired in the inaugural session of the first edition of Aviation Summit in Dhaka.
The Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry, in collaboration with the UK and France, organised the Bangladesh Aviation Summit-2023 at a city hotel here.
Read more: Working to ensure houses for all homeless people: PM Hasina
Hasina said this summit is very significant for Bangladesh in the context of the South Asian nation’s aspiration to become an aviation hub in the region.
She said just after achieving the membership of ICAO in 1973, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman undertook measures to turn Bangladesh into an ‘Aviation Hub’ to connect the East and the West, capitalizing the advantage of our geographical location.
After the assassination of the Father of the Nation in 1975, the move came to a halt, she added.
“We have undertaken several measures to support the development of an aviation hub. During the last one decade, we implemented a host of projects to upgrade our airports, airport security and ground handling,” said the prime minister.
Read More: Bangladesh Monitor holds seminar to promote smart aviation
Besides, a number of projects are running which include HSIA Expansion Project (Phase-I), Construction of General Aviation Hangar, Hangar Apron and Apron at North side of Fire Station at HSIA; Strengthening of Existing Runway and Taxiway at Shah Amanat International Airport, Chattogram; Development of Cox’s Bazar Airport (Phase-I), Cox’s Bazar Airport Runway Extension Project; Strengthening of Existing Runway and Taxiway at Osmani International Airport, Sylhet; and Enhancement of Capacity of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh on Public Security at HSIA, she noted.
The third terminal being constructed under HSIA Expansion Project (Phase-I), will create handling capacity of additional 12 million passengers and 4 million ton cargos, she said.
“The transformation of our economy helped boost the travel opportunities for our people and open up new routes and markets for our airlines. When Bangladesh will turn into an Upper Middle Income Country by 2031 and a developed country by 2041, the aviation market will be further expanded,” she added.
Read More: PM Hasina: Bangladesh to become aviation gateway between the east and the west
PM Hasina said as the economy of Bangladesh has grown, so has the importance of air cargo.
“The air cargo market of Bangladesh is rapidly growing at 8 percent per year – three times the world average. This underlines the strong demand for a dedicated national cargo operation in our country. With all of this in mind, there are areas where aviation actors need to do more,” she said.
The PM asked relevant government organisations, the airlines and other stakeholders to carry out their responsibility to create conducive environment for the development and sustaining market both for passengers and cargo.
Read More: Concerted efforts needed to solve aviation sector’s problems: Speakers
“The government is going to introduce e-visa system which will also facilitate and expedite the flow of passengers visiting Bangladesh for business or tourism,” she said.
Noting that the promising aviation industry requires skilled manpower, she said, “Our youth must have the opportunities to be trained to become pilots, aeronautics engineers, mechanics, crew members and much more.”
She hoped that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Aviation and Aerospace University, established by her government, would be able to cater the demand of skilled manpower in the country’s aviation and aerospace industry.
Read More: Bangladesh, France keen to build partnership in aviation, space, aerospace technology
She said the aviation industry has to lead by example in tackling climate change and strive to meet SDGs. De-carbonation and sustainable aviation fuel are topics which will require investments, concrete actions and the support from developed aviation nations.
“The aviation partnership proposed by the UK and France, through Airbus, to support us in our journey is very crucial,” said the PM.
Prime Minister’s Private Industries and Investment Advisor Salman F Rahman and State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md. Mahbub Ali were also present at the summit.
Read More: Police aviation wing taking shape: Four ASPs complete basic course to be pilots.
Seoul-Tokyo ties key to address N Korea, supply chains
South Korea’s president wants to quickly overcome decades of lingering hostility left over from Japan’s past colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula and forge a united front to meet regional security and economic challenges facing the neighbors.
“We cannot afford to waste time while leaving strained Korea-Japan relations unattended,” President Yoon Suk Yeol said in written response to questions posed by several foreign media outlets including The Associated Press. “I believe we must end the vicious cycle of mutual hostility and work together to seek our two countries’ common interests.”
Yoon’s comments were provided Wednesday, a day before he travels to Tokyo for a closely watched summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The focus of attention is whether and what corresponding steps Kishida would take in response to Yoon’s recent plans to use South Korean funds to compensate some of the colonial-era Korean forced laborers without requiring Japanese contributions.
Yoon’s push has triggered criticism from some victims and his domestic political rivals, who have called for direct compensation from Japanese companies that employed the forced laborers. But Yoon has defended his decision, saying greater ties with Japan is essential to tackle a slew of foreign policy and economic challenges.
Also Read: Japan, S. Korea summit must overcome history to renew ties
“There is an increasing need for Korea and Japan to cooperate in this time of a poly-crisis with North Korean nuclear and missile threats escalating and global supply chains being disrupted,” Yoon said. “I am confident that the Japanese government will join us in opening a new chapter of Korea-Japan relations which will go down to history.”
Addressing Yoon’s comments, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said later Wednesday that Tokyo seeks to strengthen “strategic cooperation” with South Korea as well as trilaterally with the United States. He said he hopes that there will be “open-hearted exchanges” between the leaders of the two countries.
South Korea and Japan, both key U.S. allies and vibrant democracies, are closely linked to each other economically and culturally. But their ties plunged to one of their lowest points in decades after South Korea’s Supreme Court in 2018 ordered two Japanese companies — Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries — to compensate some of their former Korean employees for forced labor during the 1910-45 colonial rule.
Japan has insisted all compensation issues were already settled by a 1965 treaty that normalized bilateral ties and was accompanied by $800 million in economic aid and loan from Tokyo to Seoul. The history disputes spilled over to other issues, with Tokyo placing export controls and South Korea threatening to terminate a military intelligence-sharing pact.
Also Read: North Korea launches 2 missiles to sea as allies hold drills
The feuding undermined a U.S. push to reinforce its alliances in Asia to better cope with North Korean nuclear threats and a Chinese rise.
Since taking office last May, Yoon, a conservative, has been focusing on repairing ties with Japan, boosting the military alliance with the United States and building a stronger trilateral Seoul-Washington-Tokyo security cooperation. Yoon says those steps were needed to deter North Korea, whose nuclear-capable missiles put both South Korea and Japan within striking distance.
Tensions with North Korea have further intensified recently, with the North test-firing a spate of missiles in protest of the South Korean-U.S. military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal.
“As North Korea’s nuclear development seriously threatens peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and beyond, it is more important than ever that the international community works on a concerted deterrence and responses – this includes the ROK-U.S. alliance and ROK-U.S.-Japan security cooperation,” Yoon said, invoking South Korea’s formal name.
After Yoon’s government announced it would use money raised domestically to compensate the former forced laborers who won damages in the 2018 rulings, U.S. President Joe Biden hailed the plan as a major step toward enhancing the partnership between two of Washington’s closest allies.
While experts say that North Korea’s aggressive weapons testing activities are aimed forcing the United States to accept it as a nuclear power and relaxing international sanctions, Yoon said Kim would fail to achieve this goal.
“Since the complete denuclearization of North Korea is the clear and unchanging goal of the international community, the Republic of Korea will never acknowledge North Korea as a nuclear state under any circumstances,” Yoon said.
He said Seoul, Washington and Tokyo are “continuously taking strong diplomatic, economic and military measures to show that the international community’s commitment to denuclearizing North Korea is stronger than North Korea’s commitment to the development of nuclear weapons.”
Yoon also called on North Korea to halt its “reckless” nuclear program and take steps to address the suffering of its people. He said South Korea is willing to provide humanitarian assistance to North Korean people, citing an assessment “that food shortages there have grown worse with some regions seeing people dying of hunger recently.”
Yoon expressed optimism that the thawing of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Japan would also expand economic cooperation between the technology-driven countries, which he said would be crucial to address industrial supply chain vulnerabilities and other global challenges.
“If Korea-Japan relations are normalized, I expect to see acceleration of strategic cooperation, such as technological partnerships, joint research & development and the expansion of mutual investments in various fields, such as semiconductors, space and bio-health including materials, parts and equipment," he said.
Yoon said expanded cooperation between South Korea and Japan – both semiconductor powerhouses – will contribute “greatly” in improving the resilience in global supply chains, which have been rattled by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and COVID-19 and could be reshaped by an intensifying U.S.-China rivalry.
Yoon also said South Korea and Japan while pursuing stronger bilateral ties should also seek to advance their economic relations with China in a “stable manner.”
A government-affiliated foundation in South Korea will likely handle reparations to forced labor victims with money contributed by steel giant POSCO and other local companies that benefited from the 1965 accord. POSCO said Wednesday that it decided to newly contribute 4 billion won ($3 million) to the foundation in addition to the 6 billion won ($4.6 million) that it has previously contributed to the foundation.
South Korean officials say they don't expect Nippon Steel or Mitsubishi to immediately contribute to the South Korean funds for the forced labor victims. They say they expect the Japanese companies to participate in a separate possible fund aimed at facilitating cultural exchanges and other cooperation between the two countries.
Japan, S. Korea summit must overcome history to renew ties
South Korean and Japanese leaders will meet in Tokyo this week, hoping to resume regular visits after a gap of over a decade and overcome resentments that date back more than 100 years. The two major Asian economies and United States allies face increasing need to cooperate on challenges posed by China and North Korea, but previous rounds of diplomacy have foundered on unresolved issues from Japan’s 35-year occupation of the Korean Peninsula.
Seoul has offered Tokyo concessions on South Korean court orders for compensation over wartime forced labor, but it remains to be seen whether the South Korean public will accept reconciliation.
The AP explains what's kept the two neighbors apart, what they're expected to talk about, and why it matters for the region.
WHAT ARE THE ISSUES?
Japan effectively colonized the Korean Peninsula between 1910 and 1945, in a regime that imposed Japanese names and language on Koreans and conscripted many into forced labor or forced prostitution in military brothels before and during World War II. Japan gave $800 million to South Korea’s military-backed government under a 1965 accord to normalize relations, which were mainly used on economic development projects driven by major South Korean companies. A semi-government fund set up by Tokyo offered compensation to former “comfort women” when the government apologized in 1995, but many South Koreans believe that the Japanese government must take more direct responsibility for the occupation.
Also Read: Japan marks 12 years from tsunami and nuclear disaster
The two sides also have a longstanding territorial dispute over a group of islands controlled by South Korea but claimed by Japan.
Seoul and Tokyo have attempted to establish better ties before. In 2004, leaders began regular visits, but these ended in 2012 after then-South Korean President Lee Myung-bak visited the disputed islands. Tensions escalated over the past 10 years as conservative Japanese governments moved to rearm the country while stepping up attempts to whitewash Japan’s wartime atrocities, and in 2018 South Korea's Supreme Court ordered Japan’s Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to compensate forced labor victims. In 2019, Japan, in apparent retaliation, placed export controls against South Korea on chemicals used to make semiconductors and displays used in smartphones and other high-tech devices.
Also Read: S. Korea pushes to end Japan disputes over forced laborers
WHAT'S EXPECTED AT THE SUMMIT?
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are to hold a summit and have dinner together during Yoon’s March 16-17 visit. Though leaders have met in multilateral settings, including on the sidelines of a United Nations meeting in New York in September, this is the first formal bilateral summit since a meeting in Seoul in 2015.
Kishida is expected to reaffirm Japan’s past expressions of remorse over its wartime actions.
Both sides have signaled hopes that this summit will lead to a resumption of regular bilateral visits, although Kishida hasn't yet announced plans for a visit to South Korea. Tokyo is also considering an invitation to Yoon to return to Japan as an observer at the Group of Seven summit Kishida will host in Hiroshima in May.
Yoon will be accompanied by high-profile business leaders who are expected to meet their Japanese counterparts. Masakazu Tokura, chair of the Japan Business Federation, said the two sides are considering establishing a separate, private fund to promote bilateral economy, culture and other key areas of cooperation.
WHAT'S AT STAKE FOR THE REGION?
Improved ties between South Korea and Japan could pave the way for the two U.S. allies to cooperate more closely on shared concerns related to China and North Korea.
Washington is eager to get its allies on the same page, and appears to have worked intensively to bring about the summit. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said his country and its two allies had about 40 trilateral meetings and he thinks cooperation in the process helped to build up trust. While Japan increasingly bolstered defense ties with the U.K., Australia, India and the Philippines, challenges in Japan-South Korea relations were obvious and their closer relationship “in the larger context of our strategic alignment … is a very big deal.”
South Korean officials have denied direct pressure from the Biden administration to resolve the historical discord with Tokyo, but the plan is apparently part of South Korean efforts to strengthen security partnerships to counter North Korea, which has been expanding nuclear-capable missiles and issuing threats of preemptive nuclear strikes.
While pushing to expand U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises, the Yoon government has sought Washington’s stronger reassurances to swiftly and decisively use its nuclear weapons to protect its ally from North Korea.
Seoul and Tokyo last week also announced plans for talks to restore the country’s trade relations, which could relieve pressure from global high-tech supply chains. South Korean officials say stronger economic cooperation with Tokyo has become more crucial in the face of industrial supply chain disruptions and other global challenges.
“The need to strengthen South Korea-Japan cooperation has never been greater in the era of complex crises, brought by uncertainties in global geopolitics, North Korea’s continued nuclear and missile testing activity and the disruption in industrial supply chains,” South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyundong said last week.
HOW ARE JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA ADDRESSING HISTORY?
Experts say that the two countries will have to find an accommodation on history if this round of diplomacy is to achieve lasting results.
Choi Eun-mi, an analyst at South Korea’s Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said the summit wouldn’t change South Korean public opinion if it’s all about security and economic matters. “There must be some sort of expression of apologies and self-reflection by Japan, in particular by the Japanese government and the defendant companies,” she said.
Seoul made a significant concession prior to the summit, announcing plans to use local funds to pay out compensation from the 2018 court order. South Korea will offer reparations to the plaintiffs through an existing state-run foundation that will raise the money from South Korean companies that benefited from the 1965 accord. It's a major relief for Tokyo, which fears that further South Korean court orders could impose massive compensation demands on hundreds of other Japanese companies that used wartime forced labor.
The plan has met fierce opposition from surviving forced labor victims, their supporters, and opposition politicians, who have demanded compensation directly from Japanese companies and a fresh apology from Tokyo. Only three of 15 forced labor victims who won damages in 2018 are still alive, and all three refused to accept South Korean payments in written notes submitted to the foundation, said their lawyer, Lim Jae-sung.
South Korean officials say the country's law allows for third-party reimbursements, and that they will do their best to persuade the victims to accept the payments.
South Korean officials say they do not expect Nippon Steel or Mitsubishi to immediately contribute to funds for the forced labor victims, and Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said it’s up to Japanese companies to decide whether to contribute to the funds voluntarily.
The future of the deal may also rest on whether Kishida’s government can win over South Korean public opinion. South Korean officials express hope that Yoon brings back a “sincere response” from Tokyo as bilateral relations improve.
Find ways to bring commodity prices to a normal level: PM tells business leaders
Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (March 11, 2023) asked the business community leaders to find ways to bring commodity prices to a normal level.
“Considering public suffering, the business community leaders will have to find ways to bring prices of essentials to a normal level. Otherwise, you will lose your markets,” she said.
The premier said this while inaugurating Bangladesh Business Summit-2023 at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city.
Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), in partnership with Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Commerce Ministry and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), is arranging the three-day summit.
Read More: If people don’t buy in excess, there will be no price hike of essentials ahead of Ramadan: Tipu Munshi
Sheikh Hasina said people are going through a very difficult time due to high prices of essentials and inflationary pressure.
She said developing countries like Bangladesh as well as developed countries are facing severe problems due to price hike of essentials and high inflation caused by the Russia-Ukraine war, economic sanctions and counter-sanctions following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ministers from seven countries including the United Kingdom, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, China, Bhutan and the United Arab Emirates, CEOs of 12 multinational companies, and more than 200 foreign investors and business leaders from 17 countries are participating in the business summit.
Read more: 'Business Summit to help brand Bangladesh's identity, manufacturing prowess to foreign investors'
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, PM's Private Industry and Investment Affairs Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman, Saudi Arabian Minister of Commerce Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-kassabi, Bhutanese Minister of Commerce and Employment Karma Dorjia and Deputy Director General of World Trade Organisation (WTO) Xiangchen Zhang spoke at the opening function, while FBCCI President Md Jashim Uddin delivered the welcome speech.
The Business Summit is being organized as a part of the FBCCI's 50th founding anniversary celebrations with the aim of creating new opportunities for trade and investment by showcasing the country's economic potential before a global audience.
The Business Summit will showcase dynamic investment opportunities and improvements to the local business climate while also giving insights into investment priorities of global investors to improve policymaking.
Read more: PM to inaugurate Bangladesh Business Summit on Saturday
Bangladesh open to Qatar’s investment in energy sector: PM tells Doha Investment Summit
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday (March 06, 2023) urged oil-rich Qatar to make investment in Bangladesh’s energy sector, especially in renewable energy.
“We remain open to investment proposals in our infrastructures and logistics sectors. We believe there is scope for Qatari investment in the energy sector, including in renewable energy,” she said.
The premier was addressing the Doha Investment Summit 2023 Titled ‘The Rise of Bengal Tiger: Potentials of Trade and Investment in Bangladesh’ held at Grand Ballroom of The St. Regis Doha.
She mentioned that Bangladesh could benefit from Qatar’s expertise in offshore gas exploration and energy distribution system.
Read more: PM Sheikh Hasina arrives in Qatar to join UN conference on LDCs
She urged the business people from Qatar to look at certain thrust sectors in Bangladesh and invited a delegation of Qatari business people to visit the country soon.
“I also urge the non-resident Bangladeshis based in Qatar to invest in Bangladesh. We need your participation in our nation-building efforts,” she said.
PM Hasina said that Bangladesh’s bilateral relations with Qatar should be readjusted based on a mutually beneficial economic partnership as there are immense untapped potentials.
“Bangladesh and Qatar are bound by strong brotherly ties and friendship. Our two nations need to reposition our ties based on a mutually beneficial economic partnership,” she said.
Read More: PM in Doha: LDCs need 5 key support from dev partners
She also put emphasis on setting up a Joint Committee on Trade and Investment and a Joint Business Forum to bring private sectors on a single platform.
“Our two governments should work on setting up a Joint Committee on Trade and Investment. There should also be a Joint Business Forum to bring our private sectors on a single platform,” she said.
She mentioned that Bangladesh’s agricultural growth also creates scope for cooperation in agro-processing industries, with buy-back arrangements to Qatar.
“We have plans to set up three special tourism zones, where Qatar can engage in both real estate and hospitality sectors,” she said.
Read More: PM meets Guterres in Doha, discusses Ukraine, Rohingyas
The PM said that Bangladesh aspires to have at least ten Unicorns in ‘Smart Bangladesh’, and country’s vibrant start-up scene is ready to draw Qatari investment.
In addition, she said, Qatari investors can consider portfolio investment in Bangladesh.
“Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission is working hard to further develop our capital markets. We have taken several steps to establish our bond market on a solid footing. We are soon going to include derivative products in our capital markets,” she said.
PM Hasina said that the disruptions in international fuel market due to the war in Ukraine have pushed countries like Bangladesh into a hard spot.
Read More: Energy-rich Qatar faces fast-rising climate risks at home
In order to meet the growing energy need, she said, Bangladesh is interested in increasing its LNG imports from Qatar.
She also requested Qatar to explore opportunities for increasing import of goods from Bangladesh.
She said that Bangladesh is now well on track to graduate from the UN LDC Group in 2026 which has been achieved by 168 million people through their hard work and commitment.
She said that just before the pandemic, country’s economy reached a growth rate of 8.15 percent, and even during the pandemic, it posted a growth rate of 6.94 percent.
Read More: PM urges South Korea for more investments in Bangladesh
She said that Bangladesh is now the world’s 35th largest economy with a GDP of USD 460 billion while projected to become the 24th largest by the first half of the 2030s.
“It was during my first tenure in 1996-2001 that our government fully opened up the door of trade and business for the private sector. Now our private sector is flourishing and our government is working as a facilitator. Together, we hope to take Bangladesh to the next level of development,” the PM said.
Sheikh Hasina mentioned that Bangladesh has one of the most liberal investment regimes in the region.
She mentioned that the incentives being offered include tax holiday, concessionary duty on machinery import, remittance of royalty, technical know-how and fees, allowing 100 percent foreign equity, unrestricted exit policy, full repatriation facilities of dividend and capital on exit, etc.
Read More: Eswatini wants trade, investment promotion with Bangladesh
“The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) is offering a number of services to foreign investors under one roof.”
She mentioned that the government is setting up 100 Special Economic Zones with coordinated facilities and there are so far five country-specific Economic Zones in the making.
“We are investing heavily in our infrastructures fit for a regional connectivity and logistics hub. Our mega-projects like the Padma Multi-purpose Bridge, the Karnaphuli river tunnel, the Matarbari Deep Sea Port, the expanded Third Terminal at Dhaka International Airport, the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, the Metro-rail system in Dhaka all testify to our determined march forward.”
Hasina mentioned that the government has already brought the entire nation under electricity and internet coverage while country’s first communication satellite Bangabandhu-I has opened up new horizons.
Read More: Bangladesh, South Africa discuss ways to boost trade and investment
“We have a large pool of easily trainable workforce available at a competitive wage<” she said, adding “Bangladesh has got the world’s second largest community of registered IT freelancers.”
She mentioned that Bangladesh has made big leaps in developing its digital backbone down to the remote areas. “Our boys and girls are preparing themselves to join the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
She said that the government is gradually building 38 Hi-tech Parks, with opening for foreign investment.
She said that government’s vision now is to build a ‘Smart Bangladesh’ by 2041, drawing strength from a knowledge-based society.
Read More: It is high time to work together on more projects, investment areas: Chinese Envoy
“Bangladesh offers to be a willing partner in realizing the Qatar National Vision 2030. We can equip our workforce with knowledge and skills to cater to the advanced employment market in Qatar,” she said.
She reaffirmed her commitment to fulfill Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib’s dream of building a ‘Sonar Bangla’ and said that she is confident the Qatari leadership and people will continue to stand by Bangladesh as they did in the past decades.
“I encourage our business peoples to keep adding new feathers to our excellent bilateral relations,” she said.
Chairman of Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission Prof Shibli Rubayat Ul Islam and Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Lokman Hosaain Miah made two separate presentations focusing on potentials of trade and investment in Bangladesh.
Read More: Bangladesh-Turkiye Business Forum launched to usher in new era of economic cooperation
Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) in partnership with the Foreign Affairs Ministry arranged the event.
Being invited to G20 Summit is a big honour for Bangladesh, says Momen
Bangladesh sees its series of engagements with the Group of Twenty (G20) under India’s Presidency this year as a “big honour” for the country.
“We will raise our issues there. It is a big honour for us. We should be prudent,” Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, noting that Bangladesh is the only South Asian country invited by the host.
The Group of Twenty (G20) is the premier forum for international economic cooperation, which plays an “important role” in shaping and strengthening global architecture and governance on all major international economic issues.
India holds the Presidency of the G20 from 1 December 2022 to 30 November 2023.
Read: Argentine foreign minister will visit Dhaka late Feb, asked to bring Messi with him: Momen
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been invited to attend the 18th G20 Heads of States and Governments Summit, which will take place during September 9-10 this year in New Delhi.
Momen said Hasina will be attending the Summit in New Delhi in September.
India has invited Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as guest countries to its meetings and summit, according to the Ministry of External Affairs, India.
Apart from the G20 leaders, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil El-Sisi, Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, Oman Head of State Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan have been invited to the G20 Summit.
Read: Ambassador Lee visits South Korea-supported innovative ICT-integrated pilot classroom in Dhaka
Meanwhile, Momen will attend the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi on March 1-2.
Hasina paid a state visit to India from September 5 to 8 last year at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
Ahead of the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister’s visits, Vinay Kwatra will be in Dhaka in the third week of February to have bilateral talks with his Bangladesh counterpart Masud Bin Momen, said a diplomatic source.
Kwatra assumed charge as foreign secretary on May 1 last year.
Read More: US supports India for G20 presidency
The two-day first G20 International Financial Architecture Working Group meeting under the G20 Indian Presidency began on January 30 in Chandigarh.
The Group of Twenty (G20) comprises 19 countries - Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, United Kingdom and United States and the European Union.
The G20 members represent around 85% of the global GDP, over 75% of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.
Read more: India’s G20 agenda to be inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented, decisive: Modi
ASEAN leaders say region "no proxy" for any powers
Cambodian leader Hun Sen called for unity Sunday, telling a gathering including Russia, China and the United States that current global tensions have been taking a toll on everyone.
The prime minister, whose country holds the rotating chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, said at the opening of the East Asia Summit that it was in the world’s common interest to cooperate to solve differences peacefully.
The comments come as regional tensions remain high between the United States and China over Taiwan and Beijing’s growing regional aspirations, and while the Russia invasion of Ukraine has disrupted global supply chains, causing rising energy and food prices far beyond Europe.
Without singling out any nation by name, Hun Sen said he hoped leaders would embrace a “spirit of togetherness in upholding open and inclusive multilateralism, pragmatism and mutual respect in addressing the existential and strategic challenges we all face.”
“Many current challenges and tensions have been hindering our past hard-earned efforts to promote sustainable development and causing greater hardship to people’s lives,” he said as he opened the meeting, which is running in parallel to the ASEAN group’s main summit.
Read: Putin won’t be at G20 summit, avoiding possible confrontation with US
Participants included U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, and it comes just a day before the highly anticipated meeting between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 summit in Bali.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was also taking part in the meetings, which also included the leaders of Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan and others.
On Saturday, Biden promised that the U.S. would work with ASEAN, telling leaders of the strategically vital coalition that “we’re going to build a better future that we all want to see” in the region where U.S. rival China is also working to expand its influence.
He promised to collaborate to build a region that is “free and open, stable and prosperous, resilient and secure.”
“I look forward to continuing our work together with ASEAN and with each one of you to deepen peace and prosperity throughout the region to resolve challenges from the South China Sea to Myanmar and to find innovative solutions to shared challenges,” Biden said, citing climate and health security among areas of collaboration.
Read: Myanmar tops Asian summit’s agenda as global issues loom
Li Keqiang, meantime, told a meeting of ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea that amid a “turbulent” global security situation, “unilateralism and protectionism are surging, economic and financial risks are rising, and global development is confronted with unprecedented challenges.”
As major economies in East Asia, Li said the group needed to “stay committed to promoting peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region and beyond, and to improving the people’s wellbeing.”
Global Youth Climate Summit set to kick off in Bangladesh on Oct 20
Global Youth Leadership Center, an international non-profit organisation, is all set to embark on its journey from Bangladesh on October 20 with the inauguration of its first programme -- the Global Youth Climate Summit.
The three-day summit will be held at Ava Center in Khulna, one of Bangladesh’s most climate vulnerable regions, bringing together 650 youths from 70 countries to explore how today’s youth can lead the fight against climate change, a release said.
Some 150 people between 18 and 24 years of age are expected to participate directly and 500 virtually.
Addressing the media in Dhaka on Tuesday, Ejaj Ahmad, the founder and chief executive officer of Global Youth Leadership Center, said, “Climate change is the biggest crisis facing humanity today. To address a complex challenge like climate change, we will all have to work globally and at scale."
"Our mission is to expand the youth’s knowledge about climate science, equip them with leadership skills to take individual and collective action, and enable them to launch businesses that contribute to climate mitigation or adaptation,” he said.
To empower the youth to take climate action, he said 10 delegates at the summit will receive a grant of 1,000 US dollars each to implement their climate mitigation or adaptation project.
The organisation's chairman, Neal Walker, said, “Young people not only demand climate change action, they lead the way."
He said that leadership, innovation, entrepreneurship all offer avenues of success. "But we need action at a global level. Our organisation can transform the idealism, ideas and talents of youth all over the world into results,” he added.
Grameenphone's chief corporate affairs officer Hans Martin Hoeg Henriksen, Tahsinah Ahmed, Executive Director of Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center, and young climate activists -- Sohanur Rahman and Shakila Islam -- also spoke at the press conference.
South Asian entrepreneurs summit held in Melbourne
A day-long business summit was held in Melbourne on Saturday to connect South Asian entrepreneurs with Australian entrepreneurs to promote innovation in digital economy, exchange of knowledge and partnership, organisers said in a statement.
More than 300 successful entrepreneurs attended the summit held at the Crown Conference Hall in Melbourne, it said.
It said the main aim of the summit was to help emerging and existing entrepreneurs by bringing together both Australia-based and global leaders, decision makers, global industrialists from major sectors like education, health and wellbeing, digital technology, real estate and property investment.