DHAKA: State Minister for Foreign Affairs Mohammed Shahriar Alam urged the developed countries for global cooperation with the Least Developed Countries to achieve the development goals after 2015.

“A robust framework of global cooperation and partnership between the developed and the Least Developed Countries is required for the LDCs to graduate as well as to attain the post-2015 development goals,” he said.

The minister came up with the urge at the Ministerial Meeting of Asia-Pacific LDCs on Graduation and post-2015 Development Agenda in Kathmandu, capital city of Nepal.
 
Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala inaugurated the three-day meeting Tuesday.

Ministers from Asia-Pacific LDCs met there to find out means and ways to address the challenges faced by the LDCs in their efforts to graduate from the LDC category.

Addressing the function, Shahriar mentioned Bangladesh’s aspiration to graduate out of the LDC category by the end of this decade under the leadership of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He said that the international community and the development partners must pay thoughtful attention to the serious structural impediments to growth and high exposure to shocks and disasters by the LDCs.

Shahriar also highlighted restrictive import measures increasingly by countries constraining the LDC exports and interests.

He urged for an ‘enabling global environment’ for the LDCs to be benefitted from the globalized movement of goods, services, investment, finance, trade, knowledge, and people.

Referring to the Istanbul Programme of Action that calls for wider international support measures for the LDCs in terms of accessible development finance, market access, investment, capacity-building and technology, Shahriar emphasized that these are critically important to bring in transformation in the economic structures of the LDCs.

In this context, the State Minister hailed the international community’s effort to set up the Technology Bank which is gradually taking shape. 

Referring to the climate change impact and other vulnerabilities and uncertainties of the LDCs, Shahriar stressed that the efforts by the LDCs to develop adaptive technologies also need to be fully supported.

He reminded the Meeting that the graduation of the LDCs and the implementation of post-2015 development goals are intricately interlinked as the post -2015 development agenda would impact the way the LDCs undertake plans and programs at national and sub-national levels.

On the sideline of the Meeting, Shahriar called on Nepalese premier. He recalled the personal contribution of Sushil Koirala and his party in strengthening the capability of the freedom fighters during the Historic Liberation War of Bangladesh.

They expressed satisfaction at the existing warmly bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Nepal.

As both the countries aspire for graduation from the LDC category, the two leaders reiterated their resolve to work together in a spirit of cooperation with emphasis particularly on connectivity and infrastructure.
 
The Under Secretary General and High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States Gyan Chandra Acharya met Shahriar on the sideline of the Meeting.

They exchanged views on different development challenges encountered by the LDCs and way forward for graduation.

The State Minister briefed the USG of the various efforts taken by Bangladesh Government for sustained economic development in the country.

UN agencies would provide more support in its efforts to achieve the post-2015 development goals as well as its aspiration to become a developing country, hoped the State Minister.

BDST: 1022 HRS, DEC 17, 2014