Commonwealth
Secretary General due Wednesday
Dhaka, Aug 6 (UNB) –
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono arrives here on Tuesday on a brief visit to
further promote the Bangladesh-Japan comprehensive partnership and discuss
other issues of mutual interest including Rohingya crisis.
Foreign Minister AH
Mahmood Ali and his Japanese counterpart Kono will have a bilateral meeting at
state guesthouse Meghna on Tuesday evening, a senior official at the Foreign
Ministry told UNB.
A joint briefing
will take place after the meeting, said the official.
The Japanese Foreign
Minister visited Myanmar on Monday before visiting Bangladesh as the Japanese
Foreign Ministry in a one-sentence message mentioned about Kono's attendance at
ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers' meetings and visits to Russia, Myanmar and
Bangladesh from July 30-August 8.
Japanese Foreign
Minister Kono and State Counsellor of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi discussed on
Monday how to resolve ongoing Rohingya crisis, international media reported.
.
Japan, according to
Japanese Foreign Ministry, will continue to fully support Bangladesh’s
development on all fronts so that the country can attain “newly industrialized
economy” status by 2021, through the 39th Yen Loan Package (total 200.4 billion
yen).
On May 14 Minister
Kono held a Japan-Bangladesh meeting and working dinner at Iikura Guest House
with Foreign Minister Ali.
Minister Kono,
during the meeting, stated that Japan will further promote the Japan-Bangladesh
comprehensive partnership and continue to fully support Bangladesh’s
development on all fronts.
In addition,
Minister Kono explained that Japan will further strengthen the bilateral relations
towards the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2022 and requested the
Government of Bangladesh to continue to secure the safety of Japanese people.
Diplomatic sources
say Japan highly commended the efforts made by the government of Bangladesh in
accepting Rohingyas from the Rakhaine State of Myanmar and the ongoing dialogue
with the government of Myanmar.
On the other hand,
Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland will be here on a two-day
visit on August 8 to have discussions with head of government, ministers and
other public figures on priorities and commitments.
She will also visit
Sri Lanka and Brunei as part of her first official visits to three Commonwealth
member countries in South and South East Asia.
Scotland will meet
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 9 apart from holding meetings with
Foreign Minister Ali and State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam, an
official told UNB.
The Commonwealth
Secretary General will attend a lecture on ’Commonwealth Advantage: Progress
& Potential’ on Wednesday at Bangladesh Institute of International and
Strategic Studies (BIISS) auditorium in the city as guest speaker.
Foreign Minister Ali
will attend it as the chief guest while State Minister for Foreign Affairs will
attend as special guest.
“Sri Lanka, Brunei
and Bangladesh are greatly valued members of the Commonwealth family,” said the
Secretary-General ahead of her travel, “I look forward to acquainting myself
more closely with the many encouraging and positive developments taking place
in the region – and with challenges which the convening power of the
Commonwealth can help to tackle.”
Next year, Scotland
said, Sri Lanka will host the Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting, according to
Commonwealth Secretariat.