Bangladesh wants united efforts to use blue economy

Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh has asked for developing a cooperative mechanism among the littoral states of the Indian Ocean to promote collaboration for reaping maximum benefits of the blue economy.
“We believe that the regional vision for the blue economy must be supported by a balanced integration of the economic, social and environmental elements of development,”
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said it at the Indian Ocean Rim Association Business Forum Leadership Summit in a city hotel on Sunday.
He said most favorable use of the marine resources categorised as blue economy has been recognised as one of the key components of sustainable growth.
He said that Bangladesh considered blue economy as one of the cornerstones of its economic growth and socio-economic development.
Chairman of the Indian Ocean Rim Business Forum Sheikh Fazle Fahim and Secretary-General IORA, Indonesian Ambassador Salman Al Farisi also spoke at the programme.
Bangladesh, as the current chair of IORA, is going to host the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Ministers with the theme Harnessing the opportunities of the Indian Ocean sustainably for inclusive development on November 24.
“The council will definitely take note of the suggestions of this business forum regarding the recovery from the impact of pandemic,” the Foreign Minister said.
Dr. Momen said that there was a need for a sustained dialogue among business leaders, scholars, practitioners and policy makers to identify and deliberate on various economic challenges
confronting the region, identify mechanisms to address those and evolve new frameworks for co-operation with the regional countries.
Foreign Minister said, IORA has evolved into an important regional group on both sides of the Indian Ocean through cooperation and now is playing as a key driving force to ensure development, peace and stability in the region.