Bangladesh foreign minister to visit China

Dhaka, June 4 (UNI) Bangladesh Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan will leave for Beijing tomorrow on a 3-day official visit on the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Li Zhaoxing.

''The two Foreign Ministers will review the progress and implementations of 14 agreements and MoUs signed during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to Dhaka in April and Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's return visit to Beijing in August last year,'' Director General of External Publicity Zahirul Haq told mediapersons today.

The two countries will review bilateral trade, investment, peaceful use of nuclear energy and defence cooperation when Mr Khan holds talks with Mr Li in Beijing on June 6.

The bilateral talks will cover Chinese financial and technical assistance to Bangladesh, installation of digital telephone exchange, water treatment plant in Dhaka City, North Dhaka sewerage plant and establishment of friendship exhibition and green house centre in Dhaka.

During the visit, Mr Khan will deliver a keynote speech at a seminar on ''China and South Asia: Emerging Relations and Role of Bangladesh'' at the Chinese Academy of Social Science tomorrow. He will also call on Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan.

Mr Haq said the two Foreign Ministers would also discuss trade and investment with particular reference to trade imbalance against Dhaka, duty-free access of Bangladesh products, transfer of technology, peaceful use of nuclear energy, cooperation in agriculture sector, construction of Kunming-Chittagong road, water resource management, defence cooperation and SAARC matters.

Replying to a question, Mr Haq said Bangladesh and China have good relations in training military personnel under the defence cooperation. But he would not speak about any discussion on the purchase of military hardware from China, a traditional exporter of military equipment to Bangladesh.

Mr Haq said improvement of socioeconomic condition in Bangladesh, law and order, combating terrorism and corruption, and reaching the targets of Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) would also be discussed.

Both the Foreign Ministers will also exchange views on regional and international issues of common interests. Earlier, the Foreign Secretaries of Bangladesh and China held the 8th bilateral consultations in Beijing in April this year.

UNI XC AD BD1850