Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina
DhakaTribune:
May 20,2013
The bilateral talks
were held at the Chiang Mai International Convention and Exhibition Centre on
the sidelines of 2nd Asia Pacific Water Summit
Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina on Monday sought Thai support to convince the Myanmar leadership
for giving citizenship to the Rohingyas to stop their displacement as refugees.
In a bilateral
meeting with her Thai counterpart Yingluck Shinawatra, Sheikh Hasina also
sought Bangkok’s support to become ASEAN dialogue partner, integrated part of
East West Corridor and Mekong Ganga Cooperation.
The bilateral talks
were held at the Chiang Mai International Convention and Exhibition Centre on
the sidelines of 2nd Asia Pacific Water Summit here.
Briefing reporters
after the talks, PM’s Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad said both leaders
discussed issues related to mutual interests including activities of the Joint
Trade Committee, problems of beginning the construction of the Dhaka Elevated
Expressway.
Sheikh Hasina
expressed her happiness over the meeting of the Joint Trade Commission of the
two countries after 24 years focusing on setting target to double the trade
volume between the two countries by 2016, Azad said.
She informed
Shinawatra that the government has finalized the revised alignment of the Dhaka
Elevated Expressway and it would be sent for the approval of the Cabinet Committee
soon.
Sheikh Hasina hoped
that Italian-Thai Development Company would start work of the construction of
the 26-kilometer expressway soon after approval of the revised alignment.
Recalling the visit
of Shinawatra to Dhaka in December last, Bangladesh Prime Minister said it has
initiated a new era of relations between Bangladesh and Thailand. “Bangladesh
considers Thailand as a very close friendly neighbour,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina
sought support of Thailand to the Bangladesh candidature for the position of
South East Asia Regional Office of the World HealthOrganization for 2014-2019.
The Thai Prime
Minister informed Sheikh Hasina of her government’s decision to extend
duty-free and quota-free access to selected Bangladeshi products under WTO LDC
provision to reduce trade gap and recruit Bangladeshis for Thailand's fishery
and construction sectors.
She hoped that the
two countries would sign MoUs to this end at shortest possible time.
Water Resources
Minister Ramesh Chandra Sen, Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Ambassador-
at-Large M Ziauddin, PM's Principal Secretary Shaikh M Wahid Uz Zaman and
Bangladesh Ambassador to Thailand Kazi Imtiaz Hossain were present at the meeting.
Meanwhile, in a
meeting with the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President Vuk Jeremic,
Sheikh Hasina discussed the issues related to Bangladesh election system.
The Prime Minister
said Bangladesh Election Commission is working now without any interference and
all elections during the tenure of her government were held in a free, fair and
neutral manner.
The next general
election in Bangladesh will also be held free and fairly with participation of
all political parties, she said.
On the sidelines of
the 2nd Asia Pacific Water Summit, Sheikh Hasina also held a meeting with
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and discussed the issues of mutual
interests.
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