Dipu for more efforts to achieve NAM themes

Foreign Minister Dr. Dipu Moni in her address to the ministerial meeting of the 15th NAM Summit in Egypt on Tuesday called for more coordinated efforts to achieve the best of the two themes of this year’s Summit: “International Solidarity for Peace and Development” and “Current Global Economic Crisis”.
According to a press release issued by the foreign ministry yesterday, she said that NAM had always been a prime political platform where member countries could harmonise their policies and coordinate their collective efforts. She stressed the intrinsic link between peace and development and said that peace was not merely absence of war rather economic, environmental, social, financial security and development had to be sustained for achieving long lasting peace.
To counter the adverse impacts of global financial crisis she demanded that in addition to the multilateral efforts, bilateral efforts from the developed countries for the developing countries were also needed as the developing countries had been caught in this crisis for no fault of their own. She further demanded duty and quota free market access for the LDCs to overcome the current economic crisis.
She pledged continued support of Bangladesh for the people of Palestine and demanded immediate cessation of atrocities against them by Israel.
    Dr. Dipu Moni met the foreign minister of Maldives in a bilateral meeting in Egypt. She congratulated the Maldivian foreign minister for the recent election victory and wished the new Government well. She recollected that historically Bangalis used to go to Maldives for trade and other activities and expressed her happiness that that relations between the two countries have  grown even stronger. She mentioned that at present 30,000 Bangalis are in Maldives, and discussed the problems being faced by them. The Maldives foreign minister remembered his recent visit to Bangladesh and praised the standard of products of Bangladesh. Dr. Dipu Moni mentioned that pharmaceuticals, ceramics, jute and jute goods, readymade garments, small and medium sized ships and leather products could be imported by Maldives from Bangladesh. The Maldives foreign minister then raised the issue of climate change and said that Bangladesh and Maldives were the two most adversely affected countries of the world and sought joint cooperation with Bangladesh to fight for existence. He said that the Government of Maldives was considering convening a global conference at Maldives on the adverse impacts of climate change and expected strong participation of Bangladesh there.
Dr. Dipu Moni assured that the threat of the harmful effects of climate change was the gravest for Bangladesh and as many as 20 million people might be internally displaced. She said that all future multilateral efforts should consider this issue of environmentally displaced people.
The State Minister for Foreign Affairs of UAE called on Dr. Dipu Moni and thanked her for the support of Bangladesh for IRENA headquarters to be established in UAE.
Dr. Dipu Moni lauded the role of UAE in fighting climate change and sought their assistance to fight this threat. She explained the grave effects of the global climate change on Bangladesh and felt that Bangladesh should be assisted by financial and technical support from other developed countries who were actually responsible for this crisis. She also appreciated the recent steps taken by the UAE Government to improve the conditions of the migrant labours in UAE.
Dr. Dipu Moni also met the Foreign Minister of Singapore and discussed matters of mutual interest. They reviewed the current situation since their last meeting in Singapore in April. The Singaporean Foreign Minister inquired about the war crime trial of Bangladesh and Dr. Dipu Moni apprised him of the latest situation in this regard.
The Foreign Minister of Serbia also paid a courtesy call on Dr. Dipu Moni.
 
Courtesy of The Independent