Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has placed a five-point proposal to make Indo-Pacific initiatives a success.
Her proposal includes creation of an environment of peace and fair competition for all countries by staying away from rivalries.
"My journey in politics tells me that any initiative in the Indo-Pacific should include the creation of an environment of peace, harmony and stability of all countries, should focus on all aspects of sustainable development, engage countries based on mutual trust and mutual respect for mutual benefit, focus on wealth creation for all where development must be inclusive, and lastly, create fair competition not rivalries," she said on Tuesday.
The prime minister made the proposals addressing a panel discussion on “Cooperation in the Pacific Rim” at the 3-day World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting of New Champions 2019, at the Dalian International Conference Centre in China’s city of Dalian, reports UNB.
The meeting, also known as WEF Summer Davos, was held July 1-3 with the theme of: Leadership 4.0 - Succeeding in a New Era of Globalization.
The premier said: "We sometimes look at matters just in terms of the capacity of a few large economies or their needs. But, we must address the key concerns of smaller communities or relatively weaker economies for our collective journey and a sustainable world."
She said it is widely recognized that the Indo-Pacific region is the most dynamic in the world, while the Bay of Bengal, home to 1.5 billion people, is an equally rich and growing region.
"People living in and around our Bay of Bengal have so much potential to develop and grow. There is a tendency to look at the Indo-Pacific region only in terms of trade or security issues," she added.
Talking about bilateral issues, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh amicably delimited its maritime boundary with Myanmar and India. "And now, Bangladesh and India are joining hands to uniquely develop our trans-boundary river navigation."
She added: "I always believe that in spite of differences in size and capacity compared to India, Bangladesh can only secure her peace and security with sustainable development and connectivity."
Noting that it is true that geopolitics is always important, she said: "Yes, geopolitics will always be part of life. But we have to carefully appreciate and balance issues. We cannot trade off long-term interests for short-term gains. A cooperative yet competitive environment for all countries is the insurance for our shared prosperity."
Delegates, including heads of state and government, business, civil society and academia, from more than 100 countries across the world joined the WEF meeting in the port city of Dalian, a Northeast Asian trading and financial centre known as the Hong Kong of Northern China.
