NAM: Dhaka highlights impacts on RMG, remittance

Bangladesh on Monday urged the members of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to work out innovative solutions and approaches to tackle the COVID-19 crisis underscoring the pandemic's adverse effect on two major sectors of Bangladesh's economy -- readymade garments (RMG) and remittance inflow, reports UNB.

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen made the request emphasising that the NAM's response must be embedded in multilateralism and international solidarity through forging a robust global partnership with the G7, G20, OECD, and the UN.

He also underlined that the international community must devise a clear strategy for the economic recovery of the vulnerable countries, including through the provision of short, medium, and long term support from the bilateral and multilateral development partners, protection of jobs of the migrant population and ensuring the flow of vital medical supplies and essential goods, services and food supply chains.

Foreign minister Momen participated in an online NAM contact group summit, which was convened at the initiative of Azerbaijan, the current chair of NAM.

Presided over by Ilham Aliyev, president of the Republic of Azerbaijan and chair of the movement, the online summit was attended by heads of state/government, foreign ministers and other dignitaries of NAM member countries as well as high officials of the United Nations.

The summit was organised to formulate the NAM's response to the extraordinary crisis resulting from the COVID-19.

The foreign minister thanked the president of Azerbaijan for his timely initiative to convene a virtual NAM Summit-level meeting on the pressing global emergency.

Momen mentioned that the COVID-19 had triggered an overwhelming global public health crisis affecting the health, lives, and livelihoods of peoples of nearly all countries of the world for this they were barely prepared.

He highlighted how Bangladesh has been coping with the pandemic under the direct supervision of prime minister Shiekh Hasina, who issued a 31-point directive seeking to mitigate its impacts on our population.

Momen continued that the government has already allocated nearly US$ 11.6 billion to help the vulnerable people and businesses bear with the shocks of the pandemic.

He hoped that the challenge of the COVID-19 would galvanise the NAM's efforts and strengthen the group's resolve to defeat the invincible enemy through meaningful global actions.