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3 years ago

PM for scope of more trade opportunities among D-8 members

- File Photo
- File Photo

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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged the D-8 member states to explore the possibility of signing a Trade and Investment Agreement to enhance trade among them.

She said it while addressing the 10th summit of the D-8 hosted by Bangladesh on virtual platform.

“Another key area of cooperation where we need to give focus is trade. D-8 Secretariat can provide information of potentials within the group and explore scope for trade and investment cooperation agreements" said the Prime Minister.

“Such information could help increase trade and investment dialogue, and more trade and investment among the member states”.

On empowering the private sector she said, “Trade is ultimately driven by the private sector. It is important to facilitate the travel of business people for which Bangladesh has joined six D-8 members in ratifying Simplification of Visa Procedures for the Businessmen of the D-8 Member States."

She congratulates Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic of Turkey, for his successful tenure as D-8 Chair.

In the conference the Hasina took the chairmanship of the D-8 from the Turkish President for the next five years.

Head of governments and states of the eight member countries including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan,  Malaysian PM Muhyiddin Yassin , Indonesian President Joko Widodo, President of Iran Hasan Rouhani, Prime Minister of Egypt Mostafa Madbouly took part in the conference.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s speech was read out by the country’s foreign minister.

Sheikh Hasina also called upon the D-8 members to extend cooperation to Bangladesh’s effort to repatriate the 1.1 million Rohingyas to their home in Myanmar.

“Another urgent issue that is causing severe impact on our environment, society and the economy is the Rohingya crisis. Bangladesh gave shelter to 1.1 million Rohingya refugees on humanitarian ground. We have insisted from the beginning that they have to go back to the Rakhine State in Myanmar in a safe, dignified, voluntary and sustainable manner. Unfortunately, it has been more than three years after their influx into Bangladesh, and the repatriation process is yet to be started”.

“We are also concerned that if the crisis is not resolved, this may create security concerns in the region and beyond. We are grateful to the D-8 member states for their support. I would like urge you to put pressure on Myanmar for taking back the Rohingya refugees”.

On the theme of the summit "Partnership for Transformative World: Harnessing the Power of Youth and Technology”, Hasina said, this is very appropriate under the current circumstances.

“The UN has estimated that the global economy is expected to lose nearly 8.5 trillion dollars in output over the next two years because of the pandemic. To overcome the challenges, we need effective partnership and greater cooperation in the fields of technology and innovation”.

 She said that for effective and sustainable development within D-8, it is now imperative that we cooperate and assist each other in climate change issues.

“As the chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum-CVF, we will be happy to work with the D-8 member states on the issue of implementation of the Paris Agreement”, she added.

The summit was concluded through adaptation of the 38-point 'Dhaka declaration'.

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