Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Thursday said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's participation at the G20 Summit in New Delhi will add yet another feather to the "Golden Chapter" in Bangladesh-India ties.
The foreign minister was speaking as the chief guest at the opening session of a discussion titled "G20 Summit: Dhaka to New Delhi", at the Foreign Service Academy.
Dr Momen said Bangladesh will play an important role in the 18th G-20 Summit scheduled to be held in New Delhi on September 9 and 10. “By participating in the G20 Summit, Bangladesh will give suggestions to fulfill the goals of the alliance”, he said.
"We look forward to working together with G20 partners to find multi-dimensional solutions to the multiple crises plaguing our world," he said. The foreign minister informed that Bangladesh fully subscribes to 6 priorities of Indian G20 presidency.
The recognition by G20 — under the Indian Presidency — that the status quo is no longer sustainable for multilateralism to function is a major turn-around, Momen said.
The foreign minister hoped that Bangladesh can make visible and meaningful contributions to the G20 processes through multi-stakeholder participation.
G20 has created much hype this year in Bangladesh, with Dhaka participating in all the meetings of this forum as the only invited “guest country” from South Asia.
This group of big economies was founded in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis as a forum for finance ministers and central bank governors to discuss global economic and financial issues.
It was upgraded to the level of heads of state/government in the wake of the global economic and financial crisis of 2007, and, in 2009, was designated the “premier forum for international economic cooperation”.
The summit is held annually, under the leadership of a rotating presidency.
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US, and the EU are members of the G20.
They represent around 85% of global GDP, over 75% of global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.
India is at the group's helm from December 1, 2022 to November 30 this year with the theme “One Earth, One Family, One Future”.
The priorities include green development, climate finance and LiFE; accelerated, inclusive and resilient growth; accelerating progress on SDGs; technological transformation and digital public infrastructure; multilateral institutions for the 21st century; and women-led development.
It comes at a time when a cold war-like situation is prevailing in the world following the Russia, Ukraine war just after the worst-ever pandemic.
The UN Security Council's role comes under the scanner.
Even UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for reform of the Security Council to align with the "realities of today's world". Some analysts, however, believe that G20 could be that platform since all the permanent members of the Security Council – China, France, Russia, the UK and the US – and the other big economies of the world come together under this forum. This invitation to Dhaka, according to High Commissioner Verma, means that India attaches importance to its relationship with Bangladesh, and Bangladesh also has development stories to share with the world.
The foreign minister congratulated India and said the "Indian Presidency of G20 has literally transformed the forum, not just in form but also in substance."
He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had participated in G7 Outreach Meetings in Japan and Canada in 2016 and 2018 respectively.
"Her upcoming participation at the G20 Summit stands out for the fact that the invited leaders there get to share the discussion table along with the core G20 members."
"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is now a globally recognized voice for peaceful coexistence, inclusive growth, right to development, women’s empowerment, climate action and digital transformation," he said.
"She represents nearly 170 million people, speaks for a diverse and democratic polity, and steers the world’s 35th largest economy to resilience and prosperity."
The foreign minister said Bangladesh’s participation at the upcoming G20 Summit also "aligns with our value-driven diplomatic efforts to champion the cause of sustainable development globally."
"It is to the credit of the Indian G20 Presidency that it has brought the issues of the Global South to the foreground, where it can count on Bangladesh as a willing partner."
He also acknowledged the call made by his Indian counterpart Minister S Jaishankar for a "re-globalization that is more inclusive and diversified than the model that treats most countries in the Global South as mere recipients or consumers."
"A traditional spokesperson for LDCs and climate-vulnerable countries, Bangladesh is now poised to take an enhanced role as a legitimate voice for the Global South on certain key priorities," Dr Momen said.
"We look forward to working together with G20 partners to find multi-dimensional solutions to the multiple crises plaguing our world. The recognition by G20 - under the Indian Presidency - that the status quo is no longer sustainable for multilateralism to function is itself a major turn-around," he said.
Bangladesh sherpa Ziauddin said Prime Minister Hasina will be making a "considerable contribution to the inclusive multilateral process" at the summit.
She will also engage with other heads of government in separate bilateral meetings, he said. “Bangladesh’s participation in the upcoming G20 Summit also aligns with our value-driven diplomatic efforts to champion the cause of sustainable development globally,” he said.