There is a need for enhancing regional cooperation in Asia to cope with the increasing pressure of high inflation - caused by global turmoil, like the Russia-Ukraine war.
It was observed at the inauguration of plenary session of 35th Asian Trade Promotion Forum (ATPF) CEO meeting, hosted by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) at a city hotel on Wednesday.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi attended the session as the chief guest; while Ministry of Commerce Senior Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh and Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) President Md. Jashim Uddin were the special guests, according to a statement.
Tipu Munshi, in his speech, highlighted the investment-friendly atmosphere in Bangladesh for multinational conglomerates.
"The government is facilitating all necessary things for investment. Any country can be benefited from the atmosphere here," he said.
Bangladesh has great advantage for fetching international investment till 2026, and the country is trying to sign preferential trade agreements with many countries to extend the facilities.
"We are negotiating with many countries to make the preferential agreements more comprehensive," he added.
Other speakers said a number of countries are struggling with high inflation - mainly due to devaluation of their currencies against the US dollar and the energy crisis following Russia-Ukraine war.
They said further cooperation among the ATPF member countries can help tackle the situation.
The EPB represents Bangladesh in the ATPF - a platform of 23 countries, including Bangladesh, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, China, Japan, and India.
The Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) works as the secretariat of the APTF - formed in 1987.
Some 26 members representing 12 countries are participating in the conference this year.
The three-day conference began on Tuesday and will come to an end today (Thursday) through an industrial visit.
Due to the Covid pandemic, the 34th edition of the conference was held virtually last year.
