Foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has urged the international community to take a clear strategy for economic recovery of vulnerable countries due to COVID-19 pandemic that has pushed global trade into tailspin.
“The international community must devise a clear strategy … It should include protection of jobs of the migrant population and ensuring the flow of vital medical supplies and essential goods, services and food supply chains,” he said.
The foreign minister was presenting Bangladesh statement on Monday in an Online Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Contact Group Summit for formulating the NAM’s response to the extra-ordinary crisis resulting from the COVID-19, reports BSS.
Noting that the pandemic’s adverse effect forced Bangladesh’s two major economic engines – ready-made garments (RMG) and remittance – to an instable state, Momen urged the NAM members to work out innovative solutions and approaches to tackle the crisis.
The foreign minister suggested that short-medium-long term support from the bilateral and multilateral development partners are needed to implement the proposed international strategy for economic recovery of the vulnerable countries due to global outbreak of deadly coronavirus.
Momen emphasized that the NAM’s response must be embedded in multilateralism and international solidarity through forging a robust global partnership with the G7, G20, OECD, and the UN.
The foreign minister also highlighted how Bangladesh has been coping with the pandemic under the direct supervision of Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina, who issued a 31-point directive seeking to mitigate its impact on our population.
Momen informed the NAM leaders that Bangladesh government has already allocated nearly USD 11.6 billion to help the vulnerable people and businesses to bear with the shocks of the pandemic.
Presided over by Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev who is current Chair of the Movement, the Online Summit was attended by Heads of states or governments, foreign ministers and other dignitaries of NAM member countries as well as high officials of the United Nations.
More than 243,000 people have so far died and 3.4 million infected worldwide by the COVID-19, which has left half of humanity under some form of lockdown and pushed the global economy towards its worst downturn since the Great Depression.
