The first ever formal foreign secretary-level talks between Bangladesh and Japan will be held this month to discuss bilateral, regional, and international issues which are of interest to both nations.
“Last year Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited Tokyo, and her Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe came to Dhaka. We will review the progress of the decisions taken in those visits,” said a senior Foreign Ministry official.
Shahidul will meet Japanese Deputy Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama for the foreign office consultation on February 5.
It is expected that both parties will try to find new areas of cooperation, including maritime issues and agriculture, and discuss how their relationship can move forward, the official said.
Last May, Japan pledged over $6bn of assistance for the next four to five years, and agreed to assist with several big projects including the Ganges Barrage and a multi-modal tunnel under the Jamuna River.
Another official said both parties would discuss Saarc and other regional cooperation matters as well.
The Big-B initiative taken by the Japanese would also be a topic of interest at the meeting, he said.
“If Japan raises the issue of the South China Sea dispute, we will listen to it,” he added. Japan and China have long been in territorial dispute over this maritime area.
Tokyo wanted to insert a line on the South China Sea in the joint statement issued during Hasina’s visit to Japan in May, but the foreign office refused to give in and eventually it was deleted from the statement.
Bangladesh maintains good relations with all nations in the East Asia region, which also includes China, and does not want to get involved in any disputes among them, the official said.
“We hope they understand the sensitivity.”
Bangladesh has supported Japan in becoming a permanent member of the UN Security Council and there is a possibility of discussing this issue.
“The Middle East issue may come up too, as both nations want to see stability and peace in the region,” the official said.