UN considers Bangladesh a key partner, Guterres tells Hasan

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres has termed Bangladesh a key partner of the UN for the country's ‘significant contributions’ to various UN initiatives, including peacekeeping, achieving sustainable development goals and climate adaptation.

The UN chief came up with the statement at a meeting with visiting Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud at the UN headquarters in New York on Thursday afternoon, according to a press release issued by the foreign ministry of Bangladesh.

During the meeting, the UN Secretary-General expressed deep gratitude for Bangladesh's generosity towards the Rohingyas and voiced concern over the current situation in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

He praised Bangladesh's capacity to adapt to and manage the adversities of climate change.

In response to Foreign Minister Hasan's request for UN assistance to address the challenges of Bangladesh's transition from a low-income country, Guterres assured him of full support from the global organization.

"Bangladesh deserves to be rewarded, not punished, for its progress," said the US Secretary General.

Hasan thanked the Secretary-General for his leadership in tackling the world's challenging issues, including the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Palestine.

He noted that the peace-loving people of the world appreciated the Secretary-General's presence in Rafah to avoid conflict.

The Foreign Minister urged the UN to maintain global focus on the Rohingya crisis and ensure the dignified, safe, and sustainable repatriation of the nearly 1.3 million forcibly displaced people sheltered in Bangladesh,

He also urged the UN to put its efforts more towards improving the conflict-ridden situation in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

Guterres praised Bangladesh's remarkable progress over the past decade.