Muscat: Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain today underscored the importance of enhancing maritime connectivity and reducing trade barriers to secure a brighter and more prosperous future for nations within and beyond the Indian Ocean region. Speaking at the plenary session titled “Strengthening Maritime Supply Chains: Overcoming Disruptions and Enhancing Resilience” at the 8th Indian Ocean Conference in Muscat, Oman, Hossain highlighted the critical role of maritime cooperation in facilitating the efficient movement of goods, services, and people.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Hossain emphasized Bangladesh’s commitment to maritime cooperation as a means to advance food security, energy security, water cooperation, disaster risk reduction, and access to global public goods. Advocating for “shared prosperity” through “shared responsibility,” he called on Indian Ocean nations to explore opportunities for mutual collaboration to ensure a resilient and improved shared future.
Hossain reiterated Bangladesh’s dedication to strengthening partnerships across the Indian Ocean, addressing emerging challenges, and embracing the region’s opportunities. He urged coastal nations to collaborate with trust and respect to achieve growth and prosperity, noting the increasing risks to the global economy, food security, and energy supplies due to vulnerabilities at key maritime routes.
Highlighting the need for maritime security, Hossain called for actions to tackle threats such as piracy, armed robbery, human trafficking, illegal arms trade, and unregulated fishing. He stressed the importance of addressing regulatory and administrative issues, including simplifying visa procedures for seafarers, to enhance maritime supply chain efficiency.
The adviser warned of challenges like port congestion, capacity limitations, cyber attacks, piracy, and geopolitical tensions that threaten maritime supply chains. He called for increased cooperation among states to address these vulnerabilities and enhance resilience, emphasizing the oceans’ role in global economic growth and food security.
Hossain advocated for a holistic approach to strengthening maritime supply chains, incorporating technology, infrastructure improvements, strategic planning, risk management, and cross-border collaboration. He stressed the need for conservation and sustainable use of ocean and coastal resources to protect the health of these environments.
As a littoral state, Bangladesh has long been a center of maritime activities, participating actively in regional platforms like the Indian Ocean Rim Association and the International Seabed Authority. The 8th Indian Ocean Conference, organized by India Foundation in association with Oman’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, revolves around the theme “Voyages to New Horizons of Maritime Partnership.” During the conference, Hossain is expected to hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from other countries, including Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.