Bangladesh vows closer ASEAN collaboration
Bangladesh has reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other signatories to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) to strengthen regional cooperation in addressing emerging security and development challenges.
Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman made the commitment while addressing the commemorative ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the TAC in Manila on Friday, according to Foreign Ministry.
He said global resilience against increasingly complex threats, including pandemics, climate shocks, cyber incidents and supply chain disruptions, could be strengthened through practical and coordinated initiatives.
These include developing joint early warning systems, sharing risk assessments and establishing regional crisis response mechanisms.
The foreign minister also highlighted the need for greater cooperation to address emerging challenges posed by artificial intelligence, particularly AI driven cybercrime, as well as the growing spread of misinformation and disinformation on social media platforms.
The TAC, signed five decades ago, establishes principles of mutual respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference among ASEAN member states.
Bangladesh acceded to the treaty in 2007, becoming one of the first South Asian countries to formalise its commitment to ASEAN’s rules based regional order.
On the sidelines of the commemorative events, Dr Rahman held separate bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of Chile, the Netherlands and the Philippines, as well as Qatar’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs.
The meetings focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in a range of sectors, including trade and investment, energy supply, water resource management, legal migration and the circular economy.
Dr Rahman is in the Philippine capital to participate in the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the events commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.
Bangladesh’s participation in the high level ASEAN engagements reflects Dhaka’s continued efforts to deepen its partnership with Southeast Asian countries and contribute to regional peace, stability and sustainable development through dialogue and practical cooperation.
