Staff Correspondent, Dhaka
Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed to pursue cooperation in areas of shared interest, and to continue working together to resolve the Rohingya crisis in light of the arrangements agreed between the two parties earlier.
This was discussed between Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain and his Myanmar counterpart Than Swe in Bangkok at the sidelines of the six-nation - Bangladesh, China, India, Lao DPR, Myanmar and Thailand - consultation on the Rakhine situation on Thursday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the adviser also had bilateral meetings with the Foreign Minister of Lao PDR and the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of China to exchange views on relevant bilateral and multilateral issues.
During these meetings, Adviser Touhid emphasized the importance of a viable roadmap by Myanmar authorities concerning voluntary, safe and dignified Rohingya repatriation in a time-bound manner.
The Myanmar foreign minister, however, briefed the consultative meeting about efforts being taken by his government to have dialogues with different Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs), create the environment for holding elections in 2025, combat transnational organized crimes that reportedly fuel armed conflicts, and develop enabling support structures for the return of displaced persons, including those from the Rakhine State.
The meeting will be followed by an Asean-level Informal Extended Consultation in Bangkok on Friday to discuss progress with the regional forum’s Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar and related issues.
