foreign-affairs
Moscow to increase cooperation with Asian countries: Deputy FM
Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Igor Morgulov has said Moscow will increase cooperation with the Asian countries including Bangladesh which have not joined the sanctions.
“Refocusing of Moscow’s foreign economic strategy towards the East has not started today. This process is of an objective nature and results primarily from the transformation of the Asia-Pacific region into a locomotive of the world economic development,” the Russian Embassy in Dhaka quoted the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister.
Also read:Inclusion of new locomotives to contribute to modernization of BR: South Korea
He stressed that starting from 2010, the share of the Asia-Pacific countries in Russia’s foreign trade has more than tripled and by 2022 it has exceeded 30%.
“That creates a solid foundation for further cooperation with the Asian partners which have not joined the anti-Russian sanctions. Among them are not only China, which I have already mentioned, but also such an economic giant as India, major regional economic players - Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and other states of Southeast Asia,” the Deputy Minister said.
Also read:'Princess Mary's visit to Rohingya camps great encouragement to humanitarian community'
Igor Morgulov also noted that all these dynamically developing economies are interested in increasing supplies of a wide range of the Russian products - energy resources, fertilizers, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, high-quality food, engineering products, as well as in filling the market niches that are being vacated in our country.
Muna receives “Diplomat of the Year 2022 Award” in London
Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem has received the prestigious “Diplomat of the Year 2022 Award” from world-famous Diplomat Magazine, UK , for her ‘outstanding contribution to climate diplomacy.’
The award was handed over to the High Commissioner by the Editor of the Diplomat Magazine, London recently at an annual gala diplomatic event at London’s Biltmore Mayfair in the presence of over 250 London-based diplomats, said the High Commission on Thursday.
Also read:Saida Muna Tasneem receives ‘Woman of the Decade in Public Life, Diplomacy Award’
The Diplomat Award of the Year is an annual award given out by Diplomat Magazine UK based on nominations and votes cast by UK-based envoys of more than 165 countries who maintain resident missions in London.
Inclusion of new locomotives to contribute to modernization of BR: South Korea
The inclusion of new locomotives is expected to significantly contribute to modernization of Bangladesh Railway (BR) system and improvement of connectivity and transportation, says the South Korean Embassy in Dhaka.
This will ultimately serve as a cornerstone of socio-economic development of Bangladesh, it said.
Bangladesh is the second largest recipient of the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) loans worldwide in aggregate amount.
Also read: S Korea, BGMEA for seizing opportunities through better trade, investment cooperation
So far, the Republic of Korea has funded 24 development projects of Bangladesh with total amount of 1.2 billion US dollars through the EDCF.
On Wednesday, the inaugural ceremony of 30 metre-gauge and 16 broad-gauge locomotives was held at Kamalapur Railway Station with the virtual presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as the chief guest.
U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas and South Korean Chargé d’Affaires Jungyoul Lee were also present in the occasion.
Jaishankar in city to meet PM Hasina
Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived here on Thursday afternoon as the two countries eye Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to New Delhi in July.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen received his Indian counterpart at BAF Base Bangabandhu at around 2:15pm upon his arrival by a special flight of the Indian Air Force.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami were also present.
The Indian External Affairs Minister is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Gonobhaban at 4pm.
He will hold discussions with Foreign Minister Momen at the Foreign Service Academy at 5pm on Thursday.
Momen will also host an Iftar-cum-dinner in honor of his Indian counterpart.
Jaishankar's visit is seen in the context of frequent bilateral high-level visits and exchanges between the two countries, said the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday.
Both sides commemorate 50 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties.
The last visit by Jaishankar to Bangladesh was in March 2021.
He is scheduled to leave for Paro, Bhutan by Indian Air Force special flight at 8:30am on Friday after wrapping up his Bangladesh visit.
Also read: Jaishankar to meet PM Hasina, hold talks with FM Thursday
'Princess Mary's visit to Rohingya camps great encouragement to humanitarian community'
Danish Crown Princess Mary Elizabeth's recent visit to Rohingya camps has been a great encouragement to the entire humanitarian community in Cox's Bazar, said Danish Refugee Council (DRC) Country Director Sumitra Mukherjee.
The DRC country director said they see the visit as a historical day and also an opportunity to reinforce their commitment and thanked the Bangladesh government for sustaining and strengthening support for the Rohingya people.
Princess Mary visited Bangladesh with a climate sustainability agenda.
Tuesday, she went to meet the Rohingya in the world's largest complex for displaced people, hosted in Cox's Bazar to see the work of DRC.
Mary, a patron of DRC since 2005, was accompanied by Flemming Møller Mortensen, the Danish minister for development cooperation, and Winnie Estrup Petersen, the ambassador of Denmark to Bangladesh.
During the visit to Cox's Bazar and the camps that by now host close to one million Rohingya from Myanmar, the delegation was joined by Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Shah Rezwan Hayat, and went to several of the 34 settlements.
There, they saw examples of DRC's soil erosion management and environmental restoration works in Camp 5, 6, and 8 West.
The Danish princess met and interacted with Rohingya families to learn about their situation and experiences in Bangladesh, speaking particularly with the women and children about their living conditions, humanitarian needs and concerns.
Army Chief completes important tour of UNHQ
Army Chief General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed highlighted Bangladesh's constitutional commitment to world peace and raised issues of national interest relating to the UN peacekeeping operations during his recent tour of thd UN Headquarters.
He mentioned recruitment of women peacekeepers in the UN peacekeeping missions, appointment of high-level military officials in various peacekeeping operations, participation in peacekeeping missions co-pledging with other countries, deployment of armed personnel carriers from Bangladesh.
He raised recruitment of Bangladeshi peacekeepers to the political missions and guard units, recruitment of skilled and experienced officers of Bangladesh Army in the Security and Safety, and the Operational Support Department of UNHQs,and deployment of more Police Contingents and Individual Police Officers (IPOs).
Bangladesh Army Chief held bilateral meetings with several senior officials of the UN Headquarters (UNHQs) on various issues of mutual interest, including peacekeeping operations, said a media release on Wednesday.
During his visit to the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 25 and 26 April, he met with Gilles Michaud, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Department of Security and Safety; Major General Maureen O'Brien, Acting Military Adviser; Mohammed Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General (ASG), Department of Political and Peace Building Affairs; Christian Saunders, ASG, Department of Operational Support and Police Adviser Luis Ribeiro Carrilho.
The discussions were very fruitful and highlighted various aspects of the significant contribution of Bangladeshi peacekeepers in the UN peacekeeping operations.
The Army Chief mentioned that Bangladeshi peacekeepers are selected through a rigorous selection process and sent to the mission with advanced pre-deployment training.
The Acting Military Adviser highly praised the Bangladeshi peacekeepers' professionalism, ethics, and discipline and said that Bangladesh is at the forefront of UN peacekeeping operations for all these reasons. He expressed interest in recruiting more peacekeepers from Bangladesh in the future.
ASG Khaled Khiari also lauded Bangladesh's leadership in the Peacebuilding Commission and UN Peacekeeping missions.
He also praised the government and the people of Bangladesh for its graduation from the LDC category and for providing humanitarian shelter to the forcibly displaced Rohingyas.
During the talks, the Acting Military Adviser and the ASG of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs requested the Army Chief to deploy an aviation contingent to the UN peacekeeping mission as soon as possible.
The Army Chief agreed in principle to the request.
The Army Chief proposed to replace the long-used weapons and equipment in the Bangladeshi contingents of the peacekeeping mission with new weapons and equipment sourced from Bangladesh, to which the concerned officials readily agreed.
As a result, the long-awaited issue was resolved which would eventually play a significant role in enhancing Bangladeshi peacekeepers' capability, security, and morale.
ASG Christian Sounders also praised the professionalism and logistical capabilities of Bangladeshi peacekeepers.
He also expressed interest in recruiting more Bangladeshi peacekeepers for different missions.
Police Adviser Luis Riberio Carrilho praised the Bangladeshi police personnel engaged in peacekeeping operations and expressed interest in recruiting more Bangladeshi police personnel.
The Chief of Army Staff visited the bench set up in the name of Bangabandhu and the tree -Honey Locust, at the UN Headquarters premises on the occasion of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Danish Crown Princess Mary concludes Bangladesh visit
Danish Crown Princess Mary Elizabeth wrapped up her three-day visit Wednesday night with a series of engagements in Dhaka, Cox's Bazar and Satkhira.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and his wife Selina Momen saw off the princess and her delegation at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
Dr Momen and his wife handed over a flower bouquet and an album of her visit to Mary at the airport before she left.
Climate Change: Danish princess visits Sundarbans, interacts with affected people in Satkhira
Danish crown princess Mary Elizabeth on Wednesday visited the Sundarbans coastal area of Shyamnagar upazila in the district and witnessed the impacts of climate change there hours before wrapping up her Bangladesh tour.
She reached Munshiganj Union of Shyamnagar Upazila by an Air Force helicopter around 10:30 am, said Satkhira Superintendent of Police Mohammad Mostafizur Rahman.
Also read: Danish crown princess interacts with Rohingyas, host community
Later, the princess traveled to Kultali village by a car and visited the coastal embankment area affected by climate change.
During the visit, the Princess exchanged views with the people affected by climate change.
She explored how climate change has changed their lives, what challenges they have to deal with.
After talking to the people here, the princess visited a local multipurpose cyclone shelter and learnt about its functionality during a cyclone and its management.
At noon, the princess and her entourage arrived at the Sundarbans coastal monsoon resort and attended a luncheon.
Jaishankar to meet PM Hasina, hold talks with FM Thursday
Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrives here on Thursday afternoon as the two countries eye Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to New Delhi in July.
Jaishankar's visit may be seen in the context of frequent bilateral high-level visits and exchanges between the two countries, said the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday.
Both sides commemorate 50 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties.
Also read: Jaishankar might come up with good news, says Momen
The last visit by Jaishankar to Bangladesh was in March 2021.
During his brief official visit, he will meet with the prime minister at 4pm.
He will also hold discussions with Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen at the Foreign Service Academy at 5pm on Thursday, said an official.
Momen will also host an Iftar-cum-dinner in honor of his Indian counterpart.
The Indian external affairs minister is scheduled to land at BAF Base Bangabandhu at around 2:30m by a special flight of Indian Air Force.
He will visit Bhutan after wrapping up his Bangladesh visit.
What's Good News?
Momen on Tuesday said his Indian counterpart Jaishankar might bring good news. "May be he’ll bring good news and we’re yet to know what that news is exactly."
He said the relationship between Bangladesh and India is very sweet and they are very happy that Jaishankar is coming to Bangladesh. “We always welcome him. He’ll give us surprise.”
Jaishankar will be coming with the formal invitation for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on behalf of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an impending visit to Delhi - likely to be held in the first week of July, a diplomatic source told UNB on Sunday.
At the invitation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Modi paid a State Visit to Bangladesh from 26 to 27 March 2021 to join the celebrations of the Golden Jubilee of the Independence of Bangladesh, the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 50 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh.
Also read: Jaishankar to visit Dhaka April 28
At the invitation of President Abdul Hamid, Indian President Ram Nath Kovind paid a State visit to Bangladesh from December 15 to 17 last year to attend the 50th Victory Day celebrations here as the guest of honour.
It was the Indian President’s maiden visit to Bangladesh and also his first visit overseas since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The visits symbolised the partnership of half-a-century between India and Bangladesh that has strengthened, matured and evolved as a model for bilateral relations for the entire region.
In an effort to give further impetus to Dhaka-Delhi relations, the two neighboring countries are now planning to have enhanced engagement including preparation for Hasina’s visit to India at a convenient time this year, officials said.
Minister-Level Talks
Before the prime minister’s visit, the next round of Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) meeting will be held in New Delhi, most likely next month.
The JCC will be co-chaired by Foreign Minister Momen and his Indian counterpart Jaishankar and a date is likely to be finalized during the visit of the Indian external affairs minister.
Momen said there are some meetings that need to be held before the JCC.
Asked about the issues to be discussed in the next JCC, he said Bangladesh will raise all the outstanding issues in the meeting.
Asked about Teesta River water sharing and border killing issues, he said Bangladesh always raise these issues and will reiterate those.
The sixth meeting of the JCC was held on September 29, 2020. Although Dhaka was scheduled to host the meeting, due to the COVID-19 situation the meeting was held on virtual platform.
Dhaka calls for more IOM role in helping climate migrants
Foreign Minister AK. Abdul Momen has called upon the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to engage in further advocacy on the climate-migration nexus.
He made this suggestion when the newly appointed IOM Chief of Mission in Bangladesh Abdusattor Esoev met him to present his credentials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday.
The foreign minister underscored that the international community should find appropriate ways to address both internal and international movements of people due to climate change, according to MoFA.
Read: No chance of Chinese debt trap: FM
Momen welcomed the IOM country chief and assured him of necessary cooperation in discharging his responsibilities.
He acknowledged IOM’s engagement with the Rohingya humanitarian response and stressed the importance of continued international support amid emergency situations in other parts of the world.