Dhaka, 19 July: Foreign Minister Dr. A K Abdul Momen who is currently on a two-day visit to Indonesia, has called on Secretary General of ASEAN Dato Lim Jock Hoi at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta yesterday. Welcoming Bangladesh’s initiatives for a more institutional engagements with ASEAN, the Secretary General assured the Foreign Minister of his support and necessary coordination with the member states, particularly vis-a-vis Bangladesh’s candidacy for ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partnership status.
Apprising Secretary General of the various sectoral initiatives undertaken by Bangladesh, Foreign Minister requested him to expedite a decision in the upcoming meeting of the ASEAN. Dr. Momen shared the concerns of Bangladesh on the inordinate delay with regard to the repatriation of the stranded Myanmar citizens temporarily sheltered in Bangladesh. He sought a proactive support of ASEAN for kick-starting the repatriation without any further delay.
Giving a brief overview of Bangladesh-ASEAN economic cooperation, Dr. Momen urged for a more expanded economic collaboration between Bangladesh & the South East Asian region. The Foreign Minister extended an invitation to the ASEAN Secretary General for a visit to Bangladesh.
