UNB :
Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Jeremy Bruer on Thursday said his country greatly respects Bangladesh’s independent foreign policy towards its engagement in various global initiatives, noting that Australia never asks anybody to make a choice.
“We welcome that approach. We respect greatly Bangladesh’s independent Foreign Policy approach. We would never ask anybody to make a choice,” he said recalling the foreign policy established by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman – Friendship to all, malice to none.
The High Commissioner made the remarks while responding to questions at “DCAB Talk” organized virtually by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) highlighting issues related to regional geopolitics.
Issues related to Quad (Australia, India, Japan and the US), China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) came up at the event apart from bilateral and Rohingya issues. Bangladesh has already joined the China-led BRI and interested in economic aspects of any global initiative like the IPS.
DCAB President Pantho Rahaman and its General Secretary AKM Moinuddin also spoke.
The envoy said Australia has previously benefited from China’s economic growth and hopes that all countries of the region can do the same.
Asked about the kind of security cooperation Australia is seeking from Bangladesh, Bruer said Australia and Bangladesh share vast sea resources and would work together to harness the possibilities.
He mentioned that the sea resources must be accessed in a sustainable way.
The envoy said Bangladesh has been a very responsible nation regarding international security, including its active involvement in sending peacekeepers in large numbers to UN missions. “Australia and Bangladesh can collaborate on this front, too.”
