Foreign minister A K Abdul Momen has sought global support in climate financing, rehabilitating climate migrants, and transferring green technology to address the challenges of climate change.
Dr Momen made the request when he met the Head of IMF and Dutch ministers in separate bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the meeting of Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) in Rotterdam, The Netherlands on Monday.
He, in a meeting with Barbara Visser, Dutch Minister for Infrastructure and Water Management, sought Netherland’s support in implementing different projects under the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100.
Explaining the necessity of embankments to protect people from sea-level rise, river erosions and floods, Dr Momen requested the Dutch minister to provide assistance in building embankments and dykes in Bangladesh.
He also sought the Dutch government’s support for Bangladesh in water management in the Special Economic Zones (SEZs).
Minister Barbara Visser assured him of Netherland’s continued support for the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100.
Dr Momen also held a meeting with Tom De Bruijn, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands.
In the meeting, he requested the Dutch Foreign Trade Minister for continuing preferential access of Bangladeshi products into the Dutch market for a period of time after the graduation of Bangladesh from the group of LDCs.
The foreign minister informed the Dutch minister about the exportables of Bangladesh and suggested that the Dutch importers may explore different Bangladeshi products and services, including pharmaceuticals and ICT services.
In another meeting with Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dr Momen sought IMF’s financial assistance in implementing several projects Bangladesh has undertaken to become climate resilient.
Foreign minister Momen is now in The Netherlands to attend the meeting of the Global Center on Adaptation, a Dutch initiative to develop and share knowledge and best practices for climate change adaptation.
Dr Momen is the Board Member of the GCA, while Mr Ban Ki Moon, the immediate past Secretary General of the United Nations is the Chairman of the organisation.
In the meeting of the GCA, Foreign Minister Momen stressed the need for ambitious nationally determined contributions (NDCs) in the area of climate change by the major polluting countries.
Earlier on Monday morning, Dr Momen chaired a meeting of the ministers of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), the platform of 48 countries severely affected by climate change.
