With a fresh vow to establish the region as an epicenter of economic growth, the 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit began in Indonesia’s capital city Jakarta. Founded in 1967, ASEAN nations are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Indonesia President and ASEAN Chair for 2023 Joko Widodo on Tuesday urged ASEAN to stay united and not be a proxy to any power. He also called upon the ASEAN nations to build strong cooperation and create prosperity, stability and peace, not only for the region but also for the world. We highly appreciate Joko Widodo’s worthy words during this tough time. This summit is a biannual meeting held by its members in relation to economic, political, security, and socio-cultural development of Southeast Asian countries.
In addition, it serves as a prominent regional (Asia) and international (worldwide) conference, with world leaders attending its related summits and meetings to discuss various problems and global issues, strengthening co-operation, and making decisions.
We envisage President Mohammed
Shahabuddin will encourage exploring
business opportunities both in traditional
and emerging sectors of Bangladesh
At the invitation Joko Widodo, Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin is now visiting Jakarta to attend the ASEAN Summit and 18th East Asia Summit. Mohammed Shahabuddin will deliver the concluding speech on “Strengthening Regional Architecture to Support the Epicentrum of Growth from the Perspective of IORA” as the guest of chair there. Besides, he will also have separate bilateral meetings with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo and state leaders of Thailand, Malaysia and Timor-Leste. Leaders of ASEAN member nations will discuss issues that would chart the future of ASEAN as a community and an institution. We hope the member states will be taking steps to speed up the decision-making in crises and emergencies, as well as to bolster ASEAN’s capacity to respond to emerging challenges in the region. In this regard, economic cooperation is necessary between South and Southeast Asian countries for the mutual benefit of this region’s people.
Bangladesh’s exports to Asian markets are growing steadily. Bangladesh can also take initiative to boost trade with the member states of South East Asia and diversify products in a continent where the consumer class is fast expanding. All believe now Bangladesh has the possibilities of becoming the fastest growing nation in Asia. Bangladesh government has offered various incentives to foreign investors.
Bangladesh is now enjoying an economically dignified position across the globe only for persistence of democracy and stability since 2009. Therefore, ASEAN nations will have special focus on Bangladesh. We envisage President Mohammed Shahabuddin will encourage exploring the business opportunities both in traditional and emerging sectors of Bangladesh.
