Name: MPW London 2019: The Great Balancing Act
Uploaded: 2020-01-03
Duration: 21 min 32 s
Description: South Asia has had a tumultuous year, but for one of the most populous parts of the world, the battle to balance conflicting issues is a constant one

MPW London 2019: The Great Balancing Act

International

South Asia has had a tumultuous year, but for one of the most populous parts of the world, the battle to balance conflicting issues is a constant one

ladies, thank you very much. It's such a pleasure to be here and have bean after moderate the next 20 minutes, during which we're going to be talking about what's be entitled the Great Balancing Act. Working mothers, working women in this room. We're not just gonna be talking about that van that we deal with every day but geopolitical balancing out from the economic balancing act as well. It's no surprise to any of you in this room that over the last few years the world has been rocked by force. Is such a increasing political polarization the rise of populism and also trade protectionism that well? But these are the kind of issues we're going to be getting into with two illustrious guests. Your Excellencies High Commissioner Festival. Let me start out with you, your excellent High Commissioner, Rou Xi, The engine subcontinent Self Asia has also had a tumultuous here has no economically. Where do you think it's going to go from here? You're fresh out of an election cycle. What's gonna be the trajectory for India? Thank you so much. Uh, deny. And I think we can dispense with the Your Excellency bit waken be friends here. It's such a pleasure to be here among election gathering off most powerful women. I don't really drown myself in that group, but it's nice to have this thought for for atleast this one morning. So no. Yes, It is a very interesting time for India. We had a five year long government led by our Prime Minister, Prime Minister Moody, Uh, and he has been returned with the bigger mandate in India. This is the very unusual because we have a very large electorate, a very large, diverse country on electorate battle. Over 900 million people registered waters, so it is a very large country. And it is therefore ah, good thing that we have a strong government with can continue to take step forward for opening up our economy for, uh, you know, making in there more welcoming off people. But a delivery of service is for our people on dhe. So I hope that the tragic tree is going to be very positive. Obviously, the balancing act that you're dealing with is enormous. If you look at the size of the Indian population, demographics come into play. When it comes to Bangladesh, you with a population of 165. Five million people, which is well as a double what it was when your country was actually founded at the start of the 19 seventies. So what exactly is a nation like Bangladesh have to balance the moment in terms of the things that that really is the most challenging? I think that, you know Bangladesh is economic growth right now, which is really it's just leap frogging, you know, this year their economic growth expected rate is 8.13%. Last year it was 7.6%. Currently, we're in the club seven off. Those countries that rock five Asian countries into African countries were actually live from including India. You know who expected to use per capita growth is supposed to go more than double in next 7 to 8 years. So how do we keep up with that kind of economic growth and the sustainability of that and the risk factors informed, particularly with large populations, extreme weather conditions of the risk factors of their climate change? Its biggest challenge is you know Bangladesh is coastline. They're supposed to go inundated by 2050 and there'll be about 30 million people who might be climate displaced. So we're focusing in making money this more resilient. The climate resilience is going to be a major focus to cut down, and part of this whole comes in the international context of international diplomacy. You are two women who have some of the most important positions for your country, diplomatically speaking, as ambassadors urination when it comes to the United Kingdom. Obviously this is a very interesting time to be, Ah High Commissioner of your countries, because of Brexit. And the UK is aggressively looking elsewhere to forge partnerships of countries like you. Well, currently, you know, we enjoy him. We still I mean, last year Bangladesh entered the process of eldest graduation. And you know, I mean not only is our economic growth strong and robust, but our social indicators a very strong as well, you know, In the World Economic Forum Gender Gap report, Bangladesh is competing with countries or standing next to countries such as Iceland or Norway who capped Income is $65,000 plus on ours is under 2000. But we come to a political apartment of women were in the first top five countries in the world. So you know what I'm trying to say That, you know, in this New World order, which is actually policy centric and multi polar and quite unpredictable, both like in business and politics is quite disruptive behavior. And within that, what we're trying to focus on is our immediate neighborhood. So, you know, regional collectivity, power grid, the bunker, the shares with India these are the very comforting zones that we enjoy. We're just trying to focus in our neighborhood and create this power, energy, grid, dependability, trust. So I think basically, the world is suffering from a trust deficit everywhere but having good relations with the neighbours. Extremely important. We know we're surrounded on three sides by India and we share about 4000 kilometres of Kong border. So our relationship is, you know, the basic tenets of security trade this huge dependability on this area. I think that's our common prosperity tenet, where we work together. And this is how bunga urination on his friends. Your person from you? Yes. Yeah, Greg, from getting a country of a good friend. And by the way, she's the first foreign service. I mean, woman high commissioner from the Indian Foreign Service in London. And so am I. And it really surprises me that, you know, Indian, you know, with the first woman High Commissioner. So definitely, you know. Yes. These are very important positions. London, you asked me. And you know, I think we broke broken the glass ceiling to get here. It's quite difficult because these air tightly, you know, very reserved for men. I mean, I haven't heard that the war three of our nations have actually had female leaders. Yes, indeed. Of all three of us have had. And in India, I would say, and I'm sure it's the same. The Bangladeshis. Well, we've had ambassadors to, um, most of the, you know, important countries challenging, uh, you know, assignments we've had, I think two women ambassadors to the US We've had a woman ambassador to China. We've had several in Africa. In fact, I've bean ambassador to Africa twice in in the Middle East, as we call it gestation. Most parts of the world. We did have a number of women going as ambassadors somehow in the in the UK we didn't We didn't have any foreign service woman, come here before, So I suppose it was The chair was waiting for me. Well, we have a female prime minister for the next few days, and then who knows? So we're in good company. But obviously I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't ask you both about right in particular. Two. You have Commission of sushi. UK has over the last three years extolled the virtues of coming close ties with India in a post Brexit world. How do you think those times would look like? Well, you know, it's a little bit difficult for me to start projecting at this stage, but I would say this about India UK relations. Our relationship is based on very strong foundation India, and you have a very, very strong strategic partnership that span so many different areas. Whether it is the strategic cooperation or cooperation in the area of defense or education are science and technology research. I mean, you name it and there is either a working group on it or there is someone that's going on the good economic relationship. There is a very strong Indian diaspora here that is doing very well. Ah, large number of Indian companies are here. We have in fact this feel a recent report that was released see that we have a record number off 842 Indian companies in the UK and theirs combined. Turnover last year was £48 billion at the paid around £618 million. As the corporate tax at all these figures are up actually for the previous year. So we have, ah, very strong relationship on and as I see it in India's relationship with the U. K. Is not really based on you kids relationship with anybody else. So, uh, I think the status of UK, whether it is in Europe or whether it is out of Europe, I think we will find ways thio keep this relationship going to people. A strong I'm taking it forward because it's a relationship that's really important on it. Soon commission insider, obviously countries like you would also have to balance is the high Commissioner issue was just saying before the need to keep good relations with Europe. At the same time, it's always keeping good relations which countries like Bangladesh historically have long term relationship. Yes, with our relationship with actually you know, when we were, we came into being as a country. In 1971 became independent, the two countries who recognized during a war of liberation when we still didn't We're not recognized by the world. Number one was India and number two was United Kingdom. So Bangladesh fluid flag in London during the War of Liberation in August and in India in April. So therefore we have a very, very deep relationship with this country's both the countries on our relationship with you case basis, value based relationship. So they're common values such a human rights and democracy. Secularism which is very strong pillar of Bangladeshis identities. You know that we had we wanted the independence because we were suffocating in an Islamic republic of Pakistan. And hence we were born in the People's Republic and secularism, democracy and nationalism on three pillars of our constitution. So hence our relationship with Britain Brexit or no Brexit, you know, we will continue to remain very strong on dhe. You know, we currently we have a very strong trade partnership for Bangladesh. Britain is the third largest export destination. We have about $5 billion of trade and we Britain is also the third largest investor in Bangladesh. Every year we have 200 to 300 million investment from the United Kingdom. Last five years it was two million used. All of the UK has invested so definitely trade investment. You know, our common prosperity through bilateral trade investment is gonna be the main focus post Brexit. If there is Brexit, even if it's not viewing him doesn't large diaspora. It's when we have about 700,000 upon the dishes living here, starting some questions from the audience. Please raise your hand people to question for two High Commissioner's. Just be aware that I'm, well, you both members of the civil service, so that when it comes to political questions, that's gonna be slightly more touchy territory. You have a problem. Either. Our guests are going to continue. Actually, high commission insiders just continuing on what you were saying about the relationship between Bangladesh in the UK You were previously an ambassador high Commissioner to Thailand, and I believe you're quite successful and raising invest with typical investments and export figures. What's your plans for the relationship with the U. K in Bangladesh? You can already looking at UC Bangladesh has been termed by Mackenzie as is going to be the largest one of the largest sourcing destinations for the world. So you can continue to look for sourcing and manufacturing in Bangladesh. We are currently exporting the biggest part. 80 85% is readymade garments in the peril. But we want to do want to diversify. We want to export more pharmaceuticals to the UK. We want to export more involuntarily Jute and Abbas for Jude products of the UK, we believe there's a market for that currently has come from India, but also we also export a lot of road Roger to India. But we should be able to supplement that export. And you know, Michael's another. Uh um, let the product cycle antique. So these are the things that we're looking toward diversifying and we having a trade investment conference around October this year. I'm taking initiated do that. We're going to find new ways of expanding our bilateral trade. Also be encouraging the United Kingdom to export more to bung British exports. Every load balance of trade is in our favor, so investments, trade, investment and also, you know, I tease one sector that you cave not looking into Bangladesh, We're outsourcing. Major were major our source country for Nordic countries and Western European countries. And we're a shipbuilder. But we haven't built any ships for the UK. So these areas that we're going to expand our bilateral trade investment corporation in future, you were saying earlier. Yeah. I believe you share an electricity grid with India. These types of trust partnership large country and smaller country that share borders that crucial only, but that used to be a trust deficit in many countries. Listen to a commissioner, Ritchie. How much does that concern you these days when you hear so much of the kind of negative rhetoric politically speaking, particularly coming from the biggest Western place in the world like the United States trust deficit? I think it's something that people have toe focus on and work on on. That's, uh, I think that's something that's not limited to any one particular country on one particular region or one particular time. Trust has to be built over a period of time with the consistent, you know, a relationship consistent engagement inside that was talking about the trust that we enjoy in our relationship with Bangladesh, which is not a work that has bean achieved overnight. It work over several decades that the two countries have bean doing so in any relationship to build. The trust comes out of engagement and and a mutual desire to take the relationship forward. And I think having the mechanism that help you in achieving that is very useful. So being so, for instance, with UK we have multiple dialogue mechanisms and joint working groups, and in each sector of in the experts off the, you know, specific sector engaged with each other. It helps in building that relationship of trust on relationship that helps in taking, you know, not just that particular sector forward, but the overall relationship forward. So I think I would look at that, as you know, trust justice. It has to be something that has to be worked on to create a truck, you know, credit. I mention this because Bangladesh quite an interesting example of how some of your neighbors, for instance, like Bhutan and other countries that the landlocked that you share borders with you, you allow that we allow them to report it. I mean, I think in, particularly for Bangladesh, was a small country with a large population, extremely power hungry, space, hungry country and large population, and will continue to grow. We have ah, democracy. Dividend that will continue into 2040 population might double by them and for us it's extremely important to be connected to our neighborhood. Connectivity is a major foreign policy priority and she was mentioning about the power grid. I mean with India. We have about 50 levels of institutional corporation, the cousin's Home Minister's forum. We have border guard four on. We have this canonization for Why? Because you know we have road connectivity. Well connected. Vitti threw Bangladesh to the other side of India from Kolkata, toe Agartala and Tripura in in Assam and with Bhutan, Nepal, the landlocked countries. We allow our ports to be used by both Bhutan, Nepal, India. We're allowing India transiting transhipment, these extreme trust issues. So I think that you haven't have a win win relationship. You want to win well, collective prosperity. You have to stay connected connectivity, you know, and tourism, energy and pocket sharing. I think these are the forte of our relationship and our regional cooperation is there one question from the audience just before we wrap things up in the next minute and 1/2 way. We're talking about about about the issue of trust and some of the issues on the table particularly presumed that High Commissioner had had many conversations about the place of the injured people with yes, with the UK um, these people who may never end up returning to their homeland. What's the nature in you inviting exciting that. Why do you say that? That is some memories that they have at us to go back. That young one has to be accountable for taking care of the minorities and obviously, Bangladesh being a humanitarian country, we have faces some of the situation in our War of liberation. Of 1971 there were 10 million refugees that took shelter in India, and similarly, we opened our borders for the Rangers because they were being masked influx. In three months, we had 850,000 going coming into Bangladesh in the fear of persecution and life. But of course we're in a dialogue with Myanmar and speaking of trust, you know what with India, we have 50 different forms of engagement with Myanmar, we only have one. So I think the past five decades between B, we're trying our best to build this different straight up relationship with Myanmar and we are interacting in regional forum. I think we need to work in that area. More and more importantly, you know, going just have been persecuted. Women has been women have been raped. We have We're sheltering ray babies 60,000 of them And I think accountability international community and our bilateral engagement both extremely important. And we continually that we are optimistic that the dollar will lead us to some place. And Ryan just will be able to go back. He must go back. Time is up. But thank you very much for that Commissioner. High Commission Cider time is up. But just before we go, I want to just the really great dancing at where a ll mothers believe of sons with a high powered job. If they were watching you right now, just in a sentence or two each mission What would your message beat you? I think my sons and my husband both you know, I couldn't have been here without their support. It hasn't been easy it's actually a struggle. It is actually rather award. Every day is like a conflict zone. But you know, you have to win every war and yet we have to try. And with family, you actually eventually win every war. Nothing is not. Nothing goes to lock. Everything is a win win situation. So I love them. Hang them for the level support. I would also have to say the same. I don't think I could have done it without my husband and my two sons. In fact, every time I have a challenging moment, I find that just being with them, I don't always share my problems. I don't know that weakness, but I don't have to share because somehow you know, they can sense that I'm in need of comfort. So it's really without them. I don't think I could have done that. The sacrifices that have to be made by the by the family off working woman who is in a very high demanding job. I think those are never, never really, uh, accounted for. Nobody tanks, the family for what they have missed out, because the while I was working, my Children were missing out on their time with me, so I would just want to say thank you and how much I love. And I'd like to say thank you.