Fair contest, not rivalry
Wealth creation in the region must be for all in line with “fair distribution and competition”, instead of geo-strategic or political rivalry, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said yesterday.
“We need to have fair competition, not geo-strategic or political rivalry,” he said while addressing the closing session of “Dhaka Global Dialogue 2019” at a hotel in the capital.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam and Chairman of Observer Research Foundation (ORF) Sunjoy Joshi also spoke at the session, titled “Convergence of Regional initiatives for Optimising Common Benefits”.
Nahim Razzaq, member of parliamentary standing committee on the ministry of foreign affairs, Bangladesh, moderated the session.
The foreign minister said peace and stability are crucial for sustainable growth and development.
“If there is no peace, there cannot be any development,” he said while responding to a question at the closing session.
For peace and prosperity of the region, he said, they need to create a conducive environment for all. Next, the minister added, they have to engage among themselves based on mutual trust and respect for mutual benefit.
He mentioned that they often look just in terms of capacity of a few large economies or their needs, but they must get the narrative right -- addressing the key concerns of smaller communities or relatively weaker economies is a must in “our collective journey”.
Momen said through Safta (South Asian Free Trade Area), regional trade is expected to grow robustly over the next few years. In South-East Asia, by next year, Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) would emerge as a seamless economic space.
He also said under ESCAP (The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific), Asia-Pacific regional economic integration is moving to the next level, and the BCIM (Bangladesh–China–India–Myanmar) is shaping up with a promise to unlock production-distribution-transportation opportunities.
The minister said the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is already in place to connect Asia with Africa and Europe through land and maritime networks. “The Indo-Pacific strategy is also in progress,” he added.
In today’s world, he said, no single country can prosper alone and they need to work closely -- by drawing on each other’s strength, capabilities and endowments.
The minister said many of the challenges the region faces can be addressed through collective efforts. Bangladesh is open to global and regional initiatives, which are helpful for economic development, he said.
State Minister Shahriar Alam emphasised better cooperation in the region. Asia has potential to do more and everyone recognises that this is an Asian century, he added.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the event at InterContinental Dhaka on Monday, jointly hosted by Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies and India’s ORF.
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