Momen meets India’s Jaishankar, China’s Wang Yi in Uzbekistan

AK Abdul Momen has met his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi separately on the same day in Uzbekistan.

News Deskbdnews24.com
Published : 15 July 2021, 08:57 PM
Updated : 15 July 2021, 08:57 PM

The foreign minister also met his Tajikistan counterpart Sirojiddin Muhriddin on the sidelines of an international conference on the challenges and opportunities of 

regional connectivity in Central and South Asia at Tashkent on Thursday. 

Momen and Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar discussed a range of issues, including the bilateral and regional connectivity, COVID-19 and vaccination situation in both the countries, and the repatriation of the Rohingya to Myanmar.

Jaishankar expressed his “happiness as the supply of vaccination to Bangladesh is back on track from diversified external source, including under COVAX arrangement”, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the partnership and expanding multifaceted cooperation.

They also emphasised the need for resuming the activities of various joint mechanisms soon after the COVID scenario in both countries improves.

This was followed by Momen’s meeting with Wang Yi. Both sides reciprocated their appreciation to each other for exchanging video messages by President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the occasions of the joint celebrations of the 100th birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence, and the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China.

Momen thanked the Chinese government for initiating the six-party COVID consultation and for standing by the people of Bangladesh “at an extremely difficult time by generously sending vaccine doses as gifts and opening the commercial supply line”.

Momen reiterated his request to initiate vaccine coproduction in Bangladesh. Wang Yi assured him of the Chinese government’s support on this issue.

Both the foreign ministers agreed to continue to work further towards the repatriation of the Rohingya. They also underscored the need to resume the tripartite dialogue.

During his meeting with Muhriddin, Momen proposed to initiate a joint working commission to boost bilateral trade and investment.

Muhriddin expressed his country’s appreciation of Bangladesh for hosting the persecuted Rohingya people. He pledged to continue Tajikistan’s support for Bangladesh for the repatriation of the refugees.

Momen is leading a Bangladesh delegation to the conference. He will depart for Dhaka on Jul 18.