“Economic diplomacy will be prioritised. That’s what I can tell you," Dr Momen told UNB over phone after taking oath as Foreign Minister at Bangabhaban on Monday.
The government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is working to achieve higher middle-income country by 2021 and achieve global goals - Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
The new Foreign Minister, however, did not want to elaborate right now his plans.
Foreign Ministry sources said the government will continue to pursue the foreign policy goal – “friendship to all and malice to none” as defined by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina picked Dr Momen, a globally well-connected man, as the new Foreign Minister in her cabinet replacing former Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali amid Bangladesh’s growing importance in global arena.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam is continuing with the same portfolio for the second consecutive term.
The government is dealing with a number of crucial issues, including Rohingya crisis. The government has also taken Delta Plan 2100 aiming to harness the huge potentials of Bangladesh as a Delta country through water resource management, ensuring food and water security and tackling disasters.
Meanwhile, senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs bade farewell to Mahmood Ali on Monday.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam, Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque and other senior officials were present.
They recalled the role that Mahmood Ali played as Foreign Minister taking Bangladesh to newer height at the global stage.
Dr Momen, younger brother of outgoing Finance Minister AMA Muhith, was elected MP from Sylhet 1 constituency in the December-30 national election.
He served as Ambassador and Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the UN in New York with concurrent accreditation to the Republic of Chile and the Republic of Peru.
Muhith, who got elected from the same constituency in 2014, did not contest the election this time allowing his younger brother Dr Momen to follow his footstep.
Momen, who has a PhD in economics and an MBA in business administration from the Northeastern University (Boston), came out successful contesting any election for the first time and subsequently made his way to the cabinet.
He has an MPA in public administration, public policy and international economics from the Harvard University (Cambridge), an LLB, an MA in development economics and a BA (Honors) from the University of Dhaka.
Following the formation of the all-party election-time government on November 21, 2013, Mahmood Ali was appointed as the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Ali was reappointed the Minister for Foreign Affairs on February 26, 2014 following his election as a Member of Parliament in the 10th parliamentary election in 2014.