BD hopes to resolve disputes with Myanmar across table

Maritime-boundary
BD hopes to resolve disputes with Myanmar across table
New Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes on Sunday hoped that Bangladesh would resolve the maritime-boundary disputes with Myanmar across the table, ruling out any military move from the neighboring country trying to enforce their claim on the disputed portion of the Bay-of-Bengal waters.
“We may have differences on the issue but our attitude is positive. And we believe we are reducing the gap, establishing our rights and moving forward,” he told diplomatic correspondents at the Foreign Ministry.
Quayes wouldn’t endorse the notion of a correspondent that Myanmar might apply military force during the coming winter to establish their claim on the disputed seawaters.
“We’ve not got any such indication that we are moving towards a difficult time,” he said, referring to the last meeting between the delegations of the countries in Myanmar recently. “I don’t see any basis of apprehension. Engagement between us moves forward.”
Myanmar and India had sent survey ships to the disputed waters last November-December, triggering tension in the Bay of Bengal, when Dhaka had to initiate diplomatic offensive to defuse the tensions.
On the follow-up to the parliamentary delegation’s visit to Tipaimukh-dam site, DG (South Asia) Mohammad Imran, who was a member of the delegation, said the delegation has submitted a report to the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister gave directions to the Water Resources Ministry to carry on the work in the light of information provided by the Indian side about the proposed controversial dam.
Asked how he plans to achieve ‘economic diplomacy’, the Foreign
Secretary said diplomacy is a political tour which is never divorced from core issue of pursuing economic objective.
He said linkages between line ministries and organizations, guidelines and resources and dynamism between the foreign ministry and Bangladesh missions abroad are important to achieve that end.
Quayes assured the journalists that the Foreign Ministry would hold briefings and exchange of views on various issues of national interests on regular basis.

Courtesy of UNB, Dhaka