foreign minister
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
Bangladesh will have to maintain good relations with US, India and China: Momen
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Sunday said Bangladesh will continue to maintain a balanced foreign policy – noting the importance of the country’s geostrategic location.
“My challenge is – there are three countries – the United States, India and China. These are powerful countries. I have to maintain the relationship with these three countries in such a way so that we can have an improved relationship with each country,” he said.
The minister was speaking as the chief guest at a citizens’ dialogue on Bangladesh’s achievements, opportunities and challenges. Bangladesh Study Group hosted the dialogue at Jatiya Press Club.
Read More: Mission in London aims to guide remittance flows through official channels
Momen said Bangladesh cannot ignore any country and reiterated that it is maintaining a balanced role in regards to ties with India and China. “We need to move ahead maintaining a balance with them.”
The Foreign Minister said Bangladesh has become a center of interest due to its important geostrategic location. He thinks the future world will be an Asian-led world. Asia is on track to top 50 percent of global GDP by 2040 and drive 40 percent of the world’s consumption, representing a real shift in the world’s center of gravity.
The foreign minister also said that the USA is a “major power” and Bangladesh will have to pursue good relations with the United States. “You will be happy to know that we have developed a very good relationship with India.”
He said Bangladesh is going through a “golden chapter” in terms of its relations with India and the trade relations between the two countries are also on the rise.
Momen thanked the Indian government for demonstrating its respect for Bangladesh through invites to all the meetings and Summit of the G20.
The Foreign Minister is scheduled to attend the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting – to be held in New Delhi, India on March 1 and 2.
Momen said it is not so easy to have equally good relations with all the major powers but Bangladesh is lucky to manage it comfortably as there is a “great and pragmatic leader” like Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The foreign minister also highlighted Bangladesh’s friendly relations with Russia, the European Union and the countries in the Middle-East including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Momen said Bangladesh has three major resources: human resources, fertile land and water.“We will be able to achieve the goal of ‘Sonar Bangla’ if these three resources are properly utilised,” he said.
Read More: Govt working to consolidate relations with neighbours: State Minister
Appreciating Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s leadership, Momen said Bangladesh’s dignity has been boosted globally through her development efforts.The foreign minister said Bangladesh is now considered a model for economic development.
Momen said peace and stability are very important to continue the development journey. “We don’t want to hurt peace and stability. Even, we are promoting peace and stability in the region,” he said, adding that those countries are doing very well economically where peace and stability are ensured.
State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam spoke as special guest at the discussion chaired by Bangladesh Study Trust Chairman and former Vice Chancellor of National University Prof. Dr. Harun-or-Rashid.
Dhaka University International Relations Department Prof ASM Ali Ashraf presented a keynote paper while Bangladesh Study Trust General Secretary TH M Jahangir delivered welcome remarks.
Sanctions were ‘unilateral’, not by the UN: Chinese Ambassador
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen today (January 23, 2023) said China supports any global initiative if it remains conducive to common development worldwide and avoids division or confrontation.
He said any initiative by a country should be “open and inclusive” instead of being exclusive to a particular country or against any country.
The Chinese ambassador made the remarks when a reporter wanted to know his views on various global initiatives including the Indo-Pacific strategy.
Ambassador Wen had a meeting with Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at his office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Also read: Outgoing Chinese Ambassador Li Jiming hopes Rohingya repatriation will start next year
Responding to a question on sanctioned Russian ship heading towards China, the ambassador said he saw the media reports and hoped that any sort of sanction would not affect ordinary people and cooperation with any country.
He also said that those were “unilateral sanctions”, and not by the United Nations.
Bangladesh has conveyed to the Russian side that they can send any ship except those 69 sanctioned ones carrying equipment for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
Sanctioned Russian ship Sparta III (Ursa Major) was scheduled to dock at Mongla port in Bangladesh at the end of December last year and unload cargo destined for the Rooppur power plant in Pabna.
Read more: Bangladesh won’t accept those Russian ships which are under sanctions: FM
But the authorities denied the ship permission to dock at the port after officials got a letter from the US Embassy in Dhaka, saying that the ship was on a list of Russian vessels sanctioned by the US.
The ship is en route to the port of Shanghai, China, sailing at a speed of 10.4 knots and expected to arrive there on January 31, according to vesselfinder.com which provides real-time vessel data.
Asked about the sanctioned ship's location, Foreign Minister Momen said they do not know anything further about the ship but reiterated that Bangladesh will not allow any sanctioned ship.
Regarding the situation along the border with Myanmar, he said the relevant ministries are working and they are also in touch with the Bangladesh mission in Myanmar.
Read More: Shipments for Rooppur plant and Bangabandhu Rail Bridge arrive at Mongla port
"The situation is not good," said the foreign minister, noting that people are moving from one place to another out of panic.
He said that no new entry from Myanmar will be allowed amid conflicts between two groups on the Myanmar side.
Switzerland will continue to be a reliable partner for Bangladesh: Nathalie Chuard
Outgoing Swiss Ambassador to Bangladesh Nathalie Chuard has said her country will continue to be a reliable partner for Bangladesh in the days ahead.
She paid a farewell call to Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen Monday (January 16, 2023) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Momen congratulated Nathalie on her successful tenure in Bangladesh and appreciated her efforts to further strengthen and broaden Bangladesh-Switzerland ties.
Read more: Switzerland a serious global player, reliable partner of Bangladesh: Ambassador Chuard
Highlighting the similarity of the foreign policies of the two countries, the foreign minister recalled Bangabandhu's vision of turning Bangladesh into the "Switzerland of the East."
The Swiss ambassador expressed her satisfaction at the multifaceted cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the areas of trade and investment and development cooperation.
The foreign minister invited more Swiss investment into Bangladesh, particularly in the advanced manufacturing sector.
Read More: Newly appointed Bangladesh envoy Sufiur presents credentials to Swiss president, seeks better relations
Also, Momen hoped that as a member of the United Nations Security Council for 2023-24, Switzerland would further contribute to global peace and security.
He sought Switzerland's continued support towards the early repatriation of the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals to their country.
'Frequent visits' by US officials a good development: Foreign Minister
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen today said Bangladesh remains “constructive and very positive” to address any gaps and wants to develop a “much better relationship” with the United States.
“We are very happy that our constructive engagement with the USA is increasing,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – noting that there is reason for a much better relationship between the two countries.
Momen said Bangladesh and the US believe and pursue the same values and principles like democracy and respect for human rights.
“We might have gaps or weaknesses somewhere and we have taken corrective actions when the friendly country raised such issues,” he said, referring to measures taken regarding the Digital Security Act (DSA).
Momen said they observed some weaknesses in the DSA, but by and large it was rectified.
Also Read: Up to PM to decide whether Momen will remain foreign minister or not: Quader
Responding to a question, the foreign minister said they welcome constructive engagement and have always said there is a set procedure if anyone has anything to say. “We remain very positive. If there is anything lacking, they will tell us officially. We will resolve it,” he added.
He said there had been not a single case of enforced disappearance over the last three years as far as his knowledge goes, which he sees as a great improvement.
“Five fingers of the hand are not equal. We take care of things if anyone creates any problem,” Momen said, adding that there had been no excesses from the RAB for many years.
Momen said the elite force developed much maturity over the years and they have an in-built accountability system.
“We don’t want to see any injustice anywhere,” said the foreign minister.
Asked about the two proposed agreements – General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) and the Acquisition Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) – with the US, Momen said, “Our major focus is people’s welfare. But to protect our economic development, security is also essential.”
He said Bangladesh maintains multifaceted relations with the US including trade and investment, and the two countries work together in the areas of peacekeeping, counterterrorism, climate issues and maritime security.
“They (US) have assisted us to keep the maritime boundary more secure,” said the minister.
Momen referred to US President Joe Biden’s recent remarks acknowledging their enduring partnership with Dhaka and terming Bangladesh’s economic growth in the past 50 years “a remarkable story”.
“I hope our nations will continue to work on democratic governance, climate change, refugees, and maritime security. We are invested in your success and support the ability of all Bangladeshis to freely participate in and contribute to their country's development,” Biden said, accepting the credentials of the newly-appointed Bangladesh Ambassador to the US, Muhammad Imran, at the White House.
Asked about the frequent visits by US officials, Momen said this is a rather good development that engagement between the two countries is growing and it also reflects that there are growing opportunities in Bangladesh.
E-gates at Sylhet airport will improve passengers’ experience: Foreign Minister
The electronic gates at Sylhet Osmani International Airport will improve passengers’ experience and enhance quality of service, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said today.
“We have already launched e-gates at three international airports in our country and have issued many e-passports so far,” he told reporters after the inauguration of the e-gates at Sylhet airport.
Passengers who have e-passports will be able to complete the immigration activities through e-gates, he added.
Recently the passport services have improved a lot, and one does not have to wait for a long time like before, Momen said.
“The quality of our passport (service) will increase further through the launching of e-gates. Then we won’t need visas to visit many countries. Many countries are eager to sign visa waiver agreements with us,” he said.
Also read: E-gates at Sylhet airport to open for passengers today
Six e-gates were launched today at Sylhet airport. Three of them were set up for departure and three for entry.
On Saturday, Maher Uddin Sheikh, deputy director of Sylhet Divisional Passport and Visa Office, said that immigration process will be completed fast. The government has taken this initiative, considering the convenience of expatriates, speeding up immigration procedures and raising the standard of services.
Passengers can easily pass through the e-gates as the gates will be opened automatically after submitting an e-passport and the whole process will be completed within 18 seconds, said airport authorities.
Earlier on June 7, twelve e-gates were inaugurated at Dhaka Airport.
Foreign Minister’s sister Ayesha Muzakkir no more
Ayesha Muzakkir, elder sister of Foreign Minister Abdul Momen and late finance minister AMA Muhit, passed away on Tuesday. She was 93.
She breathed her last at around 5:30 am at her residence in Sylhet.
Ayesha Muzakkir is survived by her eight daughters, many grandchildren, nine siblings, and many well-wishers.
She will be buried at their family graveyard next to the grave of her late husband Mohammad Muzakkir after the Janaza at Haji Muzaffar Dakhil Madrasa Mosque premises in Agunshi area of Moulvibazar today.
No matter who, Bangladesh doesn’t want foreign interference in its internal affairs: Momen
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Monday said the government does not want any country getting involved in Bangladesh's internal affairs.
"No country needs to get involved in our internal affairs. We are a matured country. We are a sovereign country. We are an independent country," he told reporters while responding to questions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Asked whether his message applies to all countries, Momen said, "Yes, no matter who."
The foreign minister’s attention was drawn to the recent remarks made by both the US and Russian sides.
Momen said that other countries do not need to give prescriptions to Bangladesh on democracy, human rights, justice and human dignity as these are deeply rooted in Bangladesh's DNA.
He said Bangladesh is the only country where 30 lakh people sacrificed their lives to uphold “democracy, human rights, justice and dignity of human beings in 1971.”
Read more: More “informed” thinking required amid rise of new actors, challenges: FM
He said the current government is committed to holding “free, fair, transparent and inclusive” elections under the independent Election Commission.
“We introduced voter’s ID with photo and formed an independent election commission for a transparent election. There is no lack of sincerity. We assure that our election will be free, fair, transparent and inclusive. We want that,” he added.
Momen said the Awami League never came to power without any democratic process and elections. “If you look at the track record, you will see Awami League is always for democracy, human rights, justice and human dignity.”
He said those who lecture about Bangladesh need to know the history of Bangladesh and Awami League to stop unexpected talks.
The foreign minister said Bangladesh welcomes constructive suggestions from foreign friends. “We consider proposals from our friendly countries with due importance.”
Read more: Govt will guarantee full protection of all diplomats, says FM
Momen cited how the government of Bangladesh addressed the concerns regarding the digital security act.
Responding to a question on the formal inauguration of Dhaka Metro Rail, Momen said the government remains grateful to Japan for their uninterrupted support despite the Holey Artisan attack that left over 20 people, including Japanese citizens, dead.
Govt will guarantee full protection of all diplomats, says FM
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Monday said there is nothing to worry about the security of foreign diplomats stationed in Dhaka, noting that they will be given full protection.
"Our government will guarantee full protection of all diplomats," he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"Have you ever heard that any diplomat was killed in Bangladesh? Why do you fear?" Momen said referring to a bomb blast during BNP-Jamaat tenure when the then British high commissioner to Bangladesh Anwar Choudhury was injured.
Responding to a question, Momen said he does not see any scope that the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the USA will deteriorate due to a tiny incident. "It's a multifaceted relationship."
Read more: Khosru on Shaheenbagh incident: Diplomatic corps’ security in Bangladesh ‘brought into question’
He said Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA Muhammad Imran had a prescheduled meeting which was originally scheduled to be held over the phone. Later, the meeting was held in person.
The US side said they raised the December 14 incident at the "highest levels" of the Bangladesh government, as well as with the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC.
"The ambassador (Peter Haas) is a bit panicked about his security. Our ambassador said there is no reason to get panicked," Momen said.
Earlier, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Sunday said there had been no lack of security when US Ambassador Peter Haas visited Dhaka's Shaheenbagh area recently.
While talking to reporters at the Secretariat, he said police personnel rushed to the spot immediately.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen said the situation that US Ambassador Peter Haas faced could not be seen as a "security threat".
"There is no scope to see it as a security threat," he told reporters at the Foreign Service Academy on Thursday evening, noting that the incident will have no impact on Dhaka-Washington relations.
Read more: Diplomats don’t have the power to put anyone in power: Information Minister
The US Embassy in Dhaka has said they take "seriously" all allegations of human rights violations and regularly meet with a wide variety of human rights organisations.
"The US Embassy had not received any prior communication from 'Mayer Kanna' over the last several years," said a US Embassy spokesperson on Sunday in light of various articles and statements surrounding Ambassador Haas' meeting with Mayer Dak on December 14.
Providing more information to the media in an email, the spokesperson said human rights are at the "centre" of US foreign policy.
The US ambassador ended his "prescheduled" meeting with "Mayer Dak" on December 14 due to "security concerns."
"The meeting was interrupted by protestors, who attempted to enter the building where the ambassador was located. Other protestors surrounded the ambassador's vehicle," said the spokesperson.
“Hearts of the people of Bangladesh and Argentina are dearly united by football”
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has congratulated the friendly people of the Argentine Republic for winning the FIFA World Cup 2022 Championship.
“I believe, hearts of the people of Bangladesh and Argentina are dearly united by football, despite our geographical distance,” Momen said in a letter to Argentine Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship Santiago Andrés Cafiero on Monday.
“You would be amazed to see the spontaneous rejoicing of the people of Bangladesh after the victory of the Argentine team in the FIFA World Cup, last (Sunday) night,” he said.
On behalf of the people of Bangladesh and on his own behalf, Minister Momen conveyed their heartfelt felicitations and congratulations to his Argentine counterpart and the friendly people of the Argentine Republic.
Read more: Messi wins World Cup to push claim to be football's GOAT
In this joyful moment, Momen reiterated Bangladesh's commitment to deepen the existing relations and friendship between the two friendly countries.
“I look forward to working closely to consolidate our mutual priorities and opening of Missions in each other’s capital in the coming days,” he said.
Read more: Argentine fans chanted “Bangladesh-er doa chai!” before last night’s Qatar World Cup final
Homes and streets across Argentina and Bangladesh became places of celebration after an epic World Cup final in which the national team beat France on penalties. It was the country’s third World Cup title, and the first since 1986.