Attracting foreign investment top priority of govt: Dipu Moni

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FE Report
Attracting foreign investment and gaining market access for Bangladeshi products abroad remain the top of the agenda for the newly elected government's overseas policies, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dipu Moni said Saturday.
"For a country, which still depends heavily on the huge import of raw materials, capital machinery as well as other commodities while relying mainly on the flow of foreign aid and remittance to meet the need of foreign exchange, increasing foreign investment and export must get the priority of our foreign policy," the foreign minister said.
She said this while addressing a seminar on "Bangladesh's Foreign Policy and Foreign Relations: Prospects, Challenges and Priorities" organised by Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) in the city.
Referring to the global financial turmoil, in the midst of which her government came to power, Dipu Moni also said the worldwide recession is also a major consideration while setting out the government's overseas policies due to its overwhelming dependence on fragile export and fragile remittance.
The incumbent foreign minister also said the policy of 'Look East' is to continue to form one of the pillars of the newly elected government's foreign policy in the coming years given the growing importance of the East and South East Asian countries in the country's economy.
"China has turned out to be the biggest exporter of commodities in the local market in the recent years," the foreign minister said, adding "Japan continues to be a key trading and development partner for us".
"Besides that, South Korea and the South East Asian countries are also growingly becoming an integral part of our international trade and commerce, while BIMSTEC in particular can have major dynamism in the country's economy," Dipu Moni said.
Pointing out the country's strategic geographical location, the minister said "Given the country's geographical advantage, Bangladesh can play an effective role in bridging the gap between South Asian and South East Asian countries as it sits at the crossroads of the two regions."
Brushing off any wholesale foreign policy shift with the change of government, the foreign minister said "the present government has traditionally been open to any policies of its predecessors at bilateral and multilateral levels if it is for the betterment of the country's economic and political stature.
Dipu Moni also insists that negotiating the issue of the sharing of river water and the proper demarcation of maritime boundary with India is likely to top the foreign policy agenda in the times ahead.
"We want to assure the rightful share of our maritime resources and river water, as due to geographical constraints most of our major water courses trace their source to the neighbouring giant," she said.
Citing socio-political and economic benefits of regional cooperation, Dipu Moni also stressed the need for better integration and cooperation with the South Asian counterparts on issues related to duty-free access of goods as well as terrorism.
"Our South Asia is one of the least integrated regions on earth," Dipu Moni said, adding "terrorism is one issue that cannot be tackled individually." There is a need for concerted effort at regional level to address the problem, she added.
About various issues and concerns at the Foreign Service and the country's missions abroad the minister affirmed that the government would look into the issues of restructuring the foreign ministry and the foreign missions in the near future.
She also emphasised the need for learning different foreign languages for the diplomats and also stresses the need to bring down the cost of migration for overseas workers.
Replying to a question about the trial of the war criminals of 1971; Dipu Moni has affirmed that the government is committed to cooperating bilaterally and multilaterally at international level to ensure a fair trial.
Chairman of the board of governors of BEI Salman F Rahman, President of BEI Farooq Sobhan and a number of former ambassadors of various Bangladeshi missions abroad as well as many foreign diplomats also attended the function.