British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke on Monday said they are committed to supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific where sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected and states can make choices free from coercion, disinformation and interference.

"With growth enabled through the Rules Based International System, which the UK is committed to upholding. We are ready to work with Bangladesh and our partners to realise that vision," she said.

The High Commissioner said the UK’s vision is for a free and open Indo Pacific, a region that is secure and stable, enabling prosperity and sustainable economic growth.

The High Commissioner was speaking at a plenary session on “Defining Competition in the Indo-Pacific”, moderated by Zillur Rahman, executive director of Centre for Governance Studies and chairman of Bay of Bengal Conversation.

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas, Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Lilly Nicholls and Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Jeremy Bruer also spoke at the event.

The UK and Bangladesh worked in partnership to raise global ambition before COP26.

The British envoy said they will continue to work closely to turn global commitments into action, in line with the UK/Bangladesh Climate Accord signed in March this year.  

"This commits us to work together on adaptation, mitigation and climate finance, as well as loss and damage," she said.

Bangladesh, as one of the most climate-vulnerable countries, is playing a key role internationally both to drive international action on climate change.

The British High Commissioner said the role in the Indo Pacific region will be stable, long-term and guided by regional perspectives, such as ASEAN centrality.

"Ambitious and effective partnerships are key to achieving our objectives, and we are prioritising working with and through regional partners and institutions in the Indo Pacific," she said.

For example, as ASEAN’s first new Dialogue Partner in 25 years and through our membership of CPTPP.

"In parallel, we are working to help other regional initiatives such as IORA and BIMSTEC drive tangible change in the Bay of Bengal," said the envoy.

She said their historic partnership with Bangladesh is a unique and valued relationship, cemented by their diaspora, cultural, and trade and economic links.

"We are also working in partnership with Bangladesh to tackle regional and global challenges. From climate and biodiversity, to maritime security, to the international system of rules and norms," Sarah Cooke said.

She reflected on three key areas - prosperity and growth; the importance of the Rules-Based International System (RBIS) and, taking action on climate change:

From being the world’s second-poorest country in 1971, Bangladesh is now preparing to graduate from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in 2026.

"The UK is proud to have been a development partner of Bangladesh during this time," said the High Commissioner.

"And, we now look forward to building a modern economic partnership focused on boosting trade and investment and supporting the economic reform and export diversification needed to help the economy grow sustainably," she added.

The UK’s new Developing Countries Trading Scheme will provide Bangladesh duty free, quota free access to the UK market on everything but arms until 2029, and thereafter, enhanced UK market access for 98% of product lines.

"The DCTS is the most generous global trade preference scheme and Bangladesh is by far the biggest beneficiary," said the envoy.  

But achieving growth and building prosperity will be impossible without upholding and championing the Rules Based International System, she said.

Together with India, the High Commissioner said, the UK is developing a Regional Maritime Centre of Excellence for the Bay of Bengal.

Working closely with maritime authorities across the region, including in Bangladesh, the Centre will work to ensure the resilience of the Bay; from tackling criminality to providing early storm warnings, she said.  

"And the long tradition of naval co-operation between the UK and Bangladesh is a cornerstone of our enduring relationship," she said.