Monday, November 5, 2018

Singapore foreign minister in Bangladesh to visit Rohingyas

He arrived in Dhaka on Saturday evening on a two-day visit
Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan will visit Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar on Sunday to see the situation on the ground.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali will accompany him during the visit, reports UNB.

Balakrishnan arrived in Dhaka on Saturday evening on a two-day visit to discuss bilateral and regional issues with special focus on the Rohingya, said an official.
Mahmood Ali hosted a dinner in honour of Singapore Minister at State guesthouse Padma on Saturday night.

The visiting minister is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday morning before going to Cox's Bazar.

He is scheduled to return to Dhaka in the evening after visiting the Rohingya camps.

Read also Decision to return to Myanmar must be taken by Rohingyas: foreign secretary: https://lnkd.in/gj4FUWc

On September 29, Minister Balakrishnan said Myanmar should start repatriating the Rohingyas from Bangladesh, and it must ensure that they return to a society where there is security, peace, justice and better prospects for everyone.

"The next step has to be repatriation, since there was an agreement signed between Myanmar and Bangladesh, in fact, in November last year," he said in New York.

Bangladesh and Myanmar have already agreed to begin the first batch of Rohingya repatriation on November 15.

Earlier, the Singapore foreign minister outlined ASEAN's engagement of Myanmar in helping it respond to this crisis, and underscored ASEAN's readiness to assist with humanitarian relief.

Singapore thinks a long term solution to this complex issue could only be found when all relevant stakeholders were committed to resolving the issue.
Source: Dhaka Tribune