In the wake of global food crisis, Bangladesh has proposed to strengthen the SAARC food bank.
The proposal was made when visiting SAARC Secretary General Esala Ruwan Weerakoon met the high ups of the foreign ministry on Monday.
Commenting on the proposal, State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam said Bangladesh highlights the need for a concerted effort among regional countries to absorb the shock of the current crisis.
We have earlier contributed to the food bank and are ready to continue the move, he said adding that presently Sri Lanka and Afghanistan are in dire need of agriculture inputs.
As Ukraine war and the pandemic have ignited a global food shortage, Bangladesh urged the SAARC to initiate innovative steps to get respite from it.
We have extended our cooperation to Sri Lanka and are ready to help further under the SAARC umbrella, he added.
Referring to his meeting with the SAARC Secretary General he said that both of them agreed to expedite collective action to combat food and economic crisis in the region.
The state minister further said India has agreed to continue wheat export to Bangladesh.
“We have talks with the Indian Connery minister and he assured us that India will export wheat to Bangladesh”.
Mr Alam mentioned that the Indian government will implement all the pending wheat purchase contracts with Bangladesh.
The country is also going to bring wheat from India in July through government procurement, he informed.
However the state minister said that holding SAARC summit now is very difficult considering the geo political and economic situation.
Responding to a question he said that as the present Afghan government is not recognised by other SAARC countries except Pakistan, a move is on to exclude Afghanistan from any meeting of SAARC until the recognition.
Mr Alam also noted that SAARC lacks the compactness of the EU as some members of the SAARC have bitter ties with neighbours.
