PM seeks Australia's cooperation in investment and Rohingya repatriation

On Thursday (12 November), on the sidelines of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-31) in Antalya, Turkey, Tareque Rahman discussed these issues in a bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The meeting, held at 10:30 am local time, focused on various matters of mutual interest between the two countries, including climate change, investment, agricultural sector development and the Rohingya crisis.

At the meeting, Prime Minister Tareque Rahman invited Anthony Albanese to visit Bangladesh. In response, the Australian Prime Minister expressed hope of visiting Bangladesh at a convenient time next year. At the same time, Albanese also invited Tareque Rahman to visit Australia; the Prime Minister expressed interest in visiting Australia at a convenient time.

At the meeting, Prime Minister Tareque Rahman emphasized prioritizing the needs of developing and particularly vulnerable countries in tackling the impacts of climate change. In this regard, he praised Australia's leadership role in the ongoing COP-31 discussion process.

Highlighting the potential for foreign investment in Bangladesh, the Prime Minister said there is currently an opportunity to expand Australian investment in the country. He stressed increasing investment to further strengthen the economic relations between the two countries. At the time, the issue of development and cooperation in the agricultural sector also came up for discussion.

In the discussion on the Rohingya crisis, the Prime Minister said that the permanent solution to the crisis is the safe return of the Rohingyas who have taken shelter in Bangladesh to their own country, Myanmar. He called for further strengthening Australia's diplomatic efforts to this end. Tareque Rahman noted that the Rohingya crisis originated in Myanmar and its permanent solution also lies in Myanmar. Effective role of the international community is needed to ensure the safe and dignified repatriation of this population.

At the meeting, the Prime Minister also presented Bangladesh's plans for the renewable energy sector. He said the government is working with the goal of meeting 20 percent of the country's total electricity demand from renewable energy by 2030. In addition, he highlighted various government initiatives to protect the environment and tackle the impacts of climate change. The Prime Minister also mentioned plans to implement various programs, including planting 250 million trees across the country and excavating rivers and canals, over the next five years.