A priority for Bangladesh and the EU

On 24 April, Bangladesh launched its “Indo-Pacific Outlook”. The outlook highlights stability and prosperity in the region as essential pillars when it comes to translating the vision of Bangladesh’s future as a modern, knowledge-based developed country by 2041 into reality.

The text chimes well with the European Union (EU)’s own 2021 Indo-Pacific Strategy, which aims to contribute to the stability, security, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region. Clearly, Bangladesh and the EU attach importance to the same crucial principles: respect for international law and the UN Charter, freedom of navigation and overflight, maritime security and safety. In addition, both approaches place great emphasis on connectivity in all its incarnations, including energy, trade and digital. Furthermore, there is a common understanding of the global environmental challenges related to climate change, biodiversity and disaster risk reduction.

The European Union has a clear interest in engaging in the Indo-Pacific region. Together with Indo-Pacific nations we represent a majority of the world’s population, economy, and trade. This gives us the potential to shape global conditions, be it by securing supply chains or by setting up sustainable infrastructure networks. EU-Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, when presenting the Indo-Pacific Strategy to the European Parliament, was straightforward in her assessment that “Europe needs to be more present and more active in the region”, calling the strategy “a milestone” in the EU’s external relations. It is in the EU’s interest to support a prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific region and it is evident that Bangladesh occupies an important place in this vision: a simple look at the map suffices to understand how Bangladesh’s geographic location in the Bay of Bengal – in close vicinity of India, China and other key players – along with its population of nearly 170 million makes the country a sizable strategic actor in the region. 

To move things forward, the European Union and Sweden, current holding the EU Presidency, will host the second EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum in Stockholm on 13 May. The meeting, co-chaired by the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Tobias Billström, and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, takes place against the backdrop of turbulent international relations. The world’s geopolitical architecture and the multilateral system are under threat, while the global economy is hampered by inflation and stretched supply chains – not to mention the profound impact that the climate crisis has in particular on littoral states such as Bangladesh. The rise of tensions in parts of Asia has global consequences and the repercussions of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine reverberate in the Indo-Pacific region. It is important to underline that Europeans are united in their belief that Ukraine is fighting for values that are fundamental to both Europe and the Indo-Pacific. We have a common interest in upholding the principles of the UN charter and addressing global economic instability, especially when the most vulnerable suffer from the resulting food and energy shortages.

It is at this crucial point in time that the European Union offers an open and inclusive partnership model for the Indo-Pacific. In fact, the European Union is already one of the largest trade and investment partners for nearly every country in the Indo-Pacific region. Yet our cooperation can go much further: through its new “Global Gateway” initiative the EU and Member States support smart investments in global infrastructure. The Global Gateway brings together public and private sector investors to mobilise funds for projects that support long-term connectivity projects. Bangladesh is among the first countries in the Indo-Pacific region that features a Global Gateway flagship initiative, promoting green energy transition through renewable power generation. In the security domain, the EU’s CRIMARIO programme, securing critical maritime routes in the Indo-Pacific region, has strengthened cooperation in maritime surveillance by sharing information, building capacity and providing training for its members. 

The EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial in Stockholm will address those key areas and explore opportunities for further cooperation between two of the most dynamic economic areas in the world. Bangladesh’s “Indo-Pacific Outlook” delivers a welcome contribution to these joint efforts and is a very timely initiative indeed: in the current year, which celebrates 50 years of Bangladesh-EU relations, the need for closer relations between the EU and the Indo-Pacific region has never been greater.

Charles Whiteley, EU Ambassador to Bangladesh; and Alexandra Berg von Linde, Ambassador of Sweden to Bangladesh.

For contact: [email protected]