New Delhi, Dec 24 Reuben Gauci, High Commissioner of Malta to India, who also holds charge of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and serves as ambassador in Nepal, has voiced concern over the political situation in Bangladesh, emphasising the implications for both regional stability and the sizable Bangladeshi community in his country.
“I cover Bangladesh as well, because apart from being the High Commissioner of Malta to India, I’m the High Commissioner of Malta to Bangladesh, to Sri Lanka, to Maldives, and I’m the Ambassador of Malta to Nepal,” Gauci told IANS.
“I’ve been following the situation as there is also a relatively large Bangladeshi community in Malta. So obviously, whatever is happening in the country of a community which is sizable, you know, whose expatriates are sizable in our country, we obviously are concerned,” he added.
The ambassador noted that political unrest in Bangladesh did not emerge overnight. “We’re looking at what’s happening now. I know that there, but it started happening much, much before, you know, when there were issues… when the government of Sheikh Hasina was overthrown. And now we’re very much hoping that the elections in Bangladesh on the 3rd of February will go smoothly,” he noted.
While Malta does not have major economic ties with Bangladesh, Gauci stressed that the presence of a hardworking and respectable Bangladeshi community in Malta makes stability in the country a concern. “The concern about the country does not simply come from Malta; it comes from India, which is a neighbouring country, a very much neighbouring country. And so, what I’m trying to say is that the concern shouldn’t be just of Malta, the concern could be worldwide,” he said.
The ambassador also highlighted Malta’s interest in humanitarian issues in Bangladesh, particularly the situation of the Rohingyas, and the collaboration with international bodies like the World Food Programme. “We speak a lot with the EU ambassador, Mr Michael Miller, his excellency in Dhaka. He’s a very renowned diplomat and very well informed, and he keeps us informed about the details of what’s happening, etc.,” he said.
Gauci, reflecting on his experience in India, praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and the country’s economic growth. “I arrived here five years ago… and during the time of Prime Minister Narendra Modi… I was impressed by the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. Also, we meet regularly with the External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, who is a very, very able external affairs minister. He always manages to impress his audiences… I believe that [PM Modi] has managed to enlarge the Indian economy, which moved swiftly from being the sixth to the fifth and now the fourth. And I know that his vision is to make it the third,” Gauci said.
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