Japanese ambassador emphasises commitment to realising prosperity of Bangladesh
He also emphasised the expanding economic ties between the two countries
In a lecture to Bangladeshi military officers, Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki has emphasised how committed Japan has been to realising prosperity of Bangladesh and maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Japanese ambassador delivered the online lecture titled "Japan and Bangladesh 50 Years of Friendship" for the military officers studying at Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC) in Mirpur Cantonment.
At the lecture, more than 200 students of the DSCSC Master's programme interactively discussed the relationship between Japan and Bangladesh, said a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate on 13 November.
In his lecture, the Japanese ambassador emphasised the expanding economic ties between the two countries, quality infrastructure projects under the Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt (BIG-B), and the common vision of Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP).
He also asked the officers for increasing interactions between the people by taking the opportunity of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations in 2022.
In response to a question on how Japan helps solve the Rogingya issue, Ito Naoki said Japan will work towards their early repatriation, communicating with Myanmar to this end.
The ambassador also mentioned that it is important to cooperate with the international community, such as the US, European countries, and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) countries, and start the confidence building process as the next step.
The question and answer session also covered the cooperation between the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force and the Bangladesh Navy.
FOIP is a vision to promote peace and prosperity of the countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
The core pillars of FOIP are to establish a rules-based international order and consolidate principles, such as free trade, freedom of navigation, and the rule of law, to pursue economic prosperity through quality infrastructure and connectivity, and to promote cooperation on peace and stability, including anti-terrorism, humanitarian assistance, and disaster management.
Together with like-minded countries that share the vision, Japan is vigorously leading efforts to this end.
In 2014, Japan and Bangladesh agreed to launch the initiative of BIG-B. It is aimed at developing infrastructure, improving investment environment, and fostering connectivity along the Dhaka-Chattogram-Cox's Bazar belt area and beyond.
Moheshkhali-Matarbari Integrated Infrastructure Development Initiative, the largest infrastructure project of Bangladesh, is an integral part of BIG-B.
