DHAKA – New Foreign Minister Dr Abdulkalam Abdul Momen today said that he would focus on economic diplomacy for realizing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s vision to upgrade Bangladesh to higher middle income country by 2021 and achieve sustainable development goals by 2030.

“My main focus will be enhancing economic diplomacy to implement and expedite the Prime Minister’s number of visions including uplifting the country into higher middle income by 2021 and fulfilling all development goals by 2030,” he told BSS in a reaction.

Moreover, the new foreign minister mentioned about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s aspiration to make the country Sonar Bangla (golden Bangladesh), as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, by 2040 and implement the Delta Plan for the next 100 years.

About the Rohingya issue Dr Momen said “It’s a big issue. I have to comprehend the problem first to find out the way to resolve the crisis.”

The new minister said responsibility of the present government has immensely increased as Awami League came to power again with huge mandate of the people. “Our responsibility increased a lot as peoples’ expectation on us is huge,” he said.

Dr Momen, younger brother of outgoing Finance Minister AMA Muhith, was elected MP from Sylhet 1 constituency in the national election.

He served as Ambassador and Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the UN in New York with concurrent accreditation to the Republic of Chile and the Republic of Peru.

Momen received PhD in economics and as well as MBA degree in business administration from the Northeastern University in Boston. He has also MPA in public administration, public policy and international economics from the Harvard University (Cambridge), LLB, MA in development economics and BA (Honors) from the University of Dhaka.

Dr Momen taught economics and business administration at Merrimack College, Salem State College, Northeastern University, the University of Massachusetts, and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

He served as President of the UNICEF Executive Board at the international level in 2010. He was Vice President and Acting President of the 67th United Nations General Assembly.

Dr Momen was President of the United Nations High-Level Committee on South-South Cooperation in 2014.