Staff Reporter:
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday said her participation at Munich Security Conference last week reflected Bangladesh’s strong commitment towards peace, sovereignty and overall global security.
She said this at a press conference on the outcomes of her recent three-day visit to Munich in Germany to attend the Munich Security Conference 2024.
The prime minister went to Munich on February 15 and returned home on February 19.
During her stay in Munich, she also held bilateral meetings with global leaders on the sidelines of the conference.
In her written statement Hasina described her visit successful.
She said she told the world leaders that the strength of the policy of a country – not the size – is the way for political and socio-economic freedom.
“Besides, through the bilateral meetings with friendly countries and international organisations the continuation of the relations have become stronger and new horizons of cooperation have been unleashed,” she said.
The prime minister said that while speaking at the high-level panel on ‘From Pocket to Planet: Scaling Up Climate Finance’ she called for an immediate end to all hostilities, illegal occupations and inhuman killings of unarmed people, especially women and children, in Gaza and the rest of the world.
“I draw everyone’s attention to the fact that the adverse effects of economic sanctions and counter-sanctions are felt far beyond the battlefield,” she said.
In this context, she urged everyone to make available and implement the necessary logistics and financing to address the risks of climate change by ending the senseless arms race.
“In the crisis of humanity’s existence, I present this harsh reality that petty interests only bring misery. And therefore, call on the international community to take immediate measures to address the growing security risks posed by climate change.”
Hasina said that she called on the world leaders to work together to seriously consider the financing needed to address the challenges posed by climate change.
“I place special emphasis on increasing financing for affected countries and populations, actual transfer of pledged funds, and ensuring financial and technical assistance to vulnerable countries to address the multiple security risks posed by climate change.”
She called for the swift implementation of the political commitments of rich countries and for all concerned to work together on the basis of mutual partnership and cooperation to address the global risk of climate change.
Qatar Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani during his talks assured Qatar’s continued support for sustainable and quick solution to the Rohingya problem.
“Besides mutual trade, investment, LNG supply was discussed. We also discussed the need to work together to end Israeli violence in the Gaza Strip,” she said.
Hasina said that during the meeting with World Bank’s Senior Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnership Axel Van Trotsenburge (Axel von Trotsenburg) she called for the speedy release of the US$ 500 million pledged by the World Bank as budget support in the current fiscal year in light of their contribution to the inclusion of middle-income countries.
He assured that the World Bank’s assistance will continue in Bangladesh’s desired path to pass the status of upper-middle-income and high-income countries.
Director General of the World Health Organization Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at talks with the PM, lauded Bangladesh’s achievements in health sector, especially in basic health care.
The prime minister referred to her bilateral meeting with Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the conference. She said they both expressed their satisfaction with the existing bilateral relations and expressed their desire for bilateral trade cooperation in wheat, edible oil and other agricultural products.
“I urged him to explore effective ways to quickly resolve the Ukraine-Russia conflict. We also discussed about the conflict in the Gaza Strip,” she said.
