Kaladan News

Dated:Thursday, February 24, 2005

 

A 2-MemberTeam of Bangladesh Goes to Burma for Gas Pipeline Talks

Chittagong, February 24: A two-member team of Bangladesh has left for Burma to take part in a two-day technical meeting begins today on a transnational gas pipeline from Burma to India through Bangladesh.

Petrobangla Chairman SR Osmani and Director of Gas Transmission Company Ltd (GTCL) Salek Sufi will discuss international laws relevant to such pipeline scheme, wheeling charge and other technical aspects with Indian and Burmese officials , said a press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Osmani and Salek are the members of a six-member committee that includes two members from each country and is headed by the director general of Burma energy ministry.

The committee will also hold meetings in Bangladesh and India on completion of a report by March.

Today's meeting is a follow-up of a ministerial meeting held in January that ended amid the understanding that a transnational agreement will be signed by April for the gas pipeline. Bangladesh wants its part to be done by a private sector consortium.

State Minister for Energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain yesterday told reporters that currently there is a difference of opinion whether the pipeline will enter Bangladesh through Cox’s Bazar from Arakan State of Burma or from Tripura in India.

 

He also said while dealing with the pipeline project Bangladesh will remain firm on getting access to hydropower of Nepal and Bhutan by signing a bilateral agreement with India.

 

Bangladesh will also seek a corridor for transporting commodities between Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh and find ways to reduce trade imbalance with India, he added.

 

Earlier in January, the Bangladesh Foreign Minister M Mosharraf Khan said upon his return from Burma, “Without this bilateral treaty, we will not sign the trilateral agreement.”

 

Although the concept of the pipeline is 8 years old, Burma has recently started hammering on the idea. ##

 

For more information, please contact at:

Mobile: +880 11 227 138

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.kaladanpress.org,

                www.kaladanpress.com