Foreign Minister meets India, China, Tajikistan counterparts   

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen MP had separate bilateral meetings with foreign and external affairs ministers of India, China and Tajikistan on Thursday. 

He met the delegates of those countries while attending the "Central and South Asia: Regional connectivity: Challenges and Opportunities" conference in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, reads a press release. 

Dr Momen and Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar discussed a range of issues including the bilateral and regional connectivity, Covid-19 and vaccination situation in both countries. 

The issue of repatriation of the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals temporarily staying in Bangladesh (the Rohingyas) was also discussed. 

Dr Jaishankar expressed his happiness as the supply of vaccination to Bangladesh is back on track from diversified external sources including under the COVAX arrangement. 

While meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, both sides reciprocated their appreciation to each other for exchanging video messages by President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Hasina on the occasions of the joint program of the 100th anniversary of the Father of the Nation and Golden Jubilee of  Bangladesh's independence and the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China respectively.

Dr. Momen thanked the Chinese government for initiating the six-party COVID consultation and expressed Bangladesh's gratitude to the Chinese Government for standing by the people of Bangladesh at an extremely difficult time by generosity sending vaccine doses as gifts and also opening the commercial supply line. Dr. Momen reiterated his request to initiate vaccine coproduction in Bangladesh with partnership from Bangladeshi and Chinese stakeholders. Foreign Minister 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 Rohingyas. They also underscored the need to resume the tripartite dialogue.

During his meeting with the Foreign Minister of Tajikistan Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Dr Momen proposed to initiate a joint working commission to boost bilateral trade and investment. 

Muhriddin expressed his country's appreciation to Bangladesh for graciously hosting the persecuted Rohingya people and pledged to continue to support Bangladesh in its multidimensional efforts to repatriate the displaced Rohingyas.