BD urges Germany to take 'effective steps' for Rohingya repatriation

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has urged his German counterpart Heiko Maas to exert pressure on Myanmar to create a conducive environment for repatriation of Rohingyas.

In his maiden bilateral meeting with his German equivalent, Momen outlined the four points proposed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the 74th United Nations General Assembly last month, reports bdnews24.com.

He also urged the European nation and the international community to take 'effective steps' to ensure that Myanmar facilitates the safe, secure, dignified and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingya refugees.

He also sought Germany’s support in ensuring accountability for the atrocities committed against Myanmar's Muslim minority group.

During the meeting, Momen also highlighted the success story of Bangladesh as a 'development miracle' of the world and called on German businesses to invest in Bangladesh and take advantage of the country’s demographic dividend and lucrative promotion packages for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

The whole gamut of bilateral relations between the countries were discussed in the meeting, the foreign ministry said.

German development cooperation with Bangladesh and the existing strong business relations between the countries were noted at the meeting, including the implementation of the e-passport by German company Veridos, and involvement of Siemens AG Germany in the energy sector.

While talking about global issues of mutual interest, Momen flagged the Culture of Peace resolution pursued and promoted by Bangladesh at the UN and suggested that through the practice of peaceful attitude and tolerance by states, most crises can be averted.

Maas was appreciative of the humanitarianism shown by Bangladesh in providing shelter to Rohingyas.

He commended the economic and social development achieved by Bangladesh and assured of Germany's support to the South Asian country in addressing the challenges of climate change.

Earlier in the day, the foreign minister held a meeting with Germany's Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development.Gerd Mueller.

He also met with Professor Mario Ohoven, the head of the German and European associations for small and medium-sized businesses, and Dr Roland Schmidt, secretary general of the renowned German government research institute Frederick-Ebert-Stiftung (FES).