KALADAN NEWS

Khin Nyunt’s First Visit to Bangladesh after He Took Office

Chittagong, April 5: General Khin Nyunt termed his visit significant because it is his first visit to any country after he took office as Prime Minister.

General Khin Nyunt arrived at Dhaka on 4th April, at 11:30am on a three-day official visit accompanied by a 41-member delegation including several ministers and government officials. Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and her cabinet colleagues received him, according to our correspondent.

Bangladesh and Burma yesterday signed a MoU on establishing a direct road link between Dhaka and Rangoon. The road, which will ultimately link to China, is a part of Bangladesh’s policy of developing ties with the economic giants to its east, said in the Daily Star.

The two neighbors also signed two other MoUs on cooperation in agriculture and related fields and waiver of visas for Bangladeshi diplomats and government officials after official talks between two Prime Ministers.

Under the first MoU, Dhaka and Rangoon agreed to set up joint technical and financial taskforces to determine the details for early implementation of the road-link project.

Bangladesh will assist in the construction of a bridge over upper Naf River, which is very short distance to link the two countries.

The Burma premier lays the foundation stone in the southeastern Ramu area for the road to be built between Dhaka and Rangoon today, said our correspondent.

Dhaka and Rangoon also agreed to release Bangladeshi and Burmese citizens from each other’s prisons as a gesture of friendship.

The two PMs discussed trade, agriculture and repatriation of Rohingya refugees.

PM Khin Nyunt also invited Khaleda Zia to participate in the national reconciliation process in Burma, which is also known as the Bangkok Process and Bangladesh accepted the invitation.

Shomsher Mobin Chowdhury, Foreign Secretary said, “The two leaders did not discuss the issue of imprisoned democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma as it is an internal matter of that country.”

General Khin Nyunt travels to Bandarban, Ramu and Cox’s Bazaar today to visit Buddhist pagodas and make an overnight stay in Chittagong. He will visit Chittagong Export Processing Zone and will fly off to Rangoon tomorrow. ##

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