South Korean Ambassador in Dhaka Lee Jang-keun on Thursday said Bangladesh appeared to be a more attractive partner to his country as far as investment issue is concerned in view of the existing confrontational geopolitics.
“(Korean) Companies have realised the risks from geopolitical confrontations and the necessity of diversifying their investment and partners,” he told a seminar to mark 50 years of Dhaka-Seoul diplomatic ties.
The envoy added that business entities of his country now looked for ways for “reducing or avoiding” geopolitical risks to secure their investments and “in this situation Bangladesh is increasingly becoming an attractive partner for them”.
Lee said the current geopolitical situation around the world exposed every country to grave challenges, testing as well the bilateral relations regional alongside the regional ones.
“I believe that to some extent the current geopolitical situation is creating more opportunities than challenges to Korea and Bangladesh for closer collaboration,” he said adding that Korea and Bangladesh have many commonalities that could “make us natural partners”.
Foreign minister Dr Ak Abdul Momen joined as the chief guest the event hosted by the Foreign Service Academy to review a Dhaka University study, prepared by three IR department faculties on the past, present and future of the Korea-Bangladesh relationship.
The Korean envoy said the consequent disruptions in the global supply chain affected every country and did not spare Bangladesh or South Korea as well, requiring all to cooperate with each other more than before to get over the unprecedented current geopolitical challenges.
Lee said Korea and Bangladesh also shared common values; values of democracy, market economy and human rights which would form a solid basis of cooperation toward the future.
He said South Korea’s new administration under President Yoon Suk Yeol, sworn in just three days ago, would offer Dhaka a fresh opportunity and Seoul to open a new chapter of comprehensive partnership towards the next five decades.
“I would like to assure you of my own commitment to make my utmost to this end and hope everybody to join in our joint journey towards a better and promising future relations,” he said adding that Korean and Bangladesh could chart together a new course of ties in the coming years and decades.