During the meetings, the discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation as well as Bangladesh's bid to become a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN. The ASEAN Regional Forum is a key platform for dialogue and cooperation on political and security issues in the Asia-Pacific region, bringing together ASEAN member states and their dialogue partners.
Bangladesh has called for greater engagement by ASEAN to facilitate the safe and sustainable repatriation of forcibly displaced Rohingyas to Myanmar's Rakhine State, stressing the need for stronger regional cooperation to address shared challenges.
Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam made the call while speaking at the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Senior Officials' Meeting held in Manila on Tuesday.
"The ASEAN should be more engaged for successful repatriation of the Rohingyas to Rakhine, Myanmar," he said, according to the foreign ministry here.
Highlighting the protracted Rohingya crisis, Siam underscored the importance of sustained multilateral engagement to address common regional and global challenges.
He also identified climate change, cyber security and supply chain sustainability among the growing challenges confronting the region and called for enhanced cooperation to effectively tackle these issues.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the Foreign Secretary held separate bilateral meetings with the Under Secretary of the Philippines and the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN.
During the meetings, the discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation as well as Bangladesh's bid to become a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN.
The ASEAN Regional Forum is a key platform for dialogue and cooperation on political and security issues in the Asia-Pacific region, bringing together ASEAN member states and their dialogue partners.
