Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called for international cooperation in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is a litmus test for global solidarity,” Hasina said in her speech at the virtual Qatar Economic Forum, titled “Reimagining the World”, on Tuesday.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed our world to multiple setbacks and fragilities,” Hasina said. “It has already claimed millions of lives and battered economies. We need strong global cooperation to overcome this difficult time.”
Hasina reiterated her call for the declaration of coronavirus vaccines as a global public good and additional support for developing and least developed countries.
“As we are witnessing the challenges, we need to take immediate collective and concerted actions together to help mitigate the impact of the pandemic through expanding trade, business and investment for our common prosperity.”
Sheikh Hasina pointed to the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda as blueprints for overcoming this crisis.
The Prime Minister said that countries around the world needed to cooperate and strengthen their multilateral ties in the future.
“Over the past few years, we have been observing the rise of populism, anti-globalisation sentiments and economic protectionism around the world,”
“We have to stand together to strengthen multilateralism. As a precondition to expanding economic activities, we need to ensure peace and stability everywhere in the world.”
Hasina touted her government’s achievements, including the attainment of over 6.0 per cent growth and Bangladesh’s graduation from LDC status.
She also encouraged investors from Qatar and the Middle East to take an interest in Bangladesh.
“Bangladesh has an excellent investment environment, and is offering a wide range of incentives,” she said.
“The public and private investors of Qatar and other countries of the Middle East may seize the opportunities in Bangladesh, particularly in the fields of infrastructure, ICT, renewable energy, light engineering and pharmaceutical industries, and jute and other agricultural products.”
The Qatar Economic Forum 2021 is a three-day virtual event held in cooperation with Bloomberg and began on Monday, as per a bdnews24.com report.
The event brought together over 100 world leaders, diplomats, academics and businessmen.
“[The event] represents a springboard for a series of forums aimed at enriching the dialogue on the global economy and proceeding to the next post-COVID-19 phase,” Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said during the forum’s inauguration.
