Rohingya issue can impact all of us in region and beyond: Shringla
Indian foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Wednesday said New Delhi has always called for a sustainable and speedy return of displaced persons to Myanmar’s Rakhine State and that reiterated that India has worked with both Bangladesh and Myanmar in trying to resolve the issue.
Responding to a question during a special briefing here, Shringla said that the Rohingya community’s displacement “can impact on all of us in the region and beyond.”
“India is the only country that shares a common land border with both Bangladesh and Myanmar. We do believe that our three countries have the potential to deal with our issues.
We do also believe that this issue is one that can impact on all of us in the region and beyond,” foreign secretary said during a special briefing amid president Ram Nath Kovind’s visit to Bangladesh.
Shringla noted that India had under the Rakhine State Development Programme (RSDP) contributed to the economic development of that area as a long-term measure.
The foreign secretary further stated that India also constructed 250 houses that could be used to house those displaced persons who will return to the Rakhine State.
“These houses are built on the villages that were earlier occupied by displaced persons. And we will continue to take in consultation with both our neighbours’ steps that can help in resolving and expediting this very important issue,” he added.
Meanwhile talking about President Ram Nath Kovind’s Bangladesh visit, Shringla said: “As far as you know, the discussions between our leadership between our President Kovind and Bangladesh leadership is concerned discussions were covered a broad range of areas that were part of our bilateral relationship.”
He noted that a biopic being prepared on Bangabandhu jointly by both countries is due to be released soon.
“We are working on several other initiatives in that regard. You have also seen that on the 6th of December, Maitri Diwas, we not only celebrated this event in Dhaka and New Delhi, but we also celebrated this jointly India and Bangladesh in 18 capitals all over the world,” he added.
Highlighting that India and Bangladesh have reached a high point in our relationship, foreign secretary Shringla said that India had been quite quick in providing both medicines and vaccinations to Bangladesh, we have supplied some 21.8 million (2 crore 18 lakh) doses of Covid-19 vaccine so, far.
He continued saying that at the time of the recent wave of the Covid-19 pandemic India had arranged for oxygen Express streams to come and provide liquid medical oxygen.
“We also acknowledged with thanks, the systems extended by Bangladesh to India, when we had a devastating second wave in the form of medicines and other relief items and that support was greatly welcomed,” he added.
President Kovind on Wednesday began his three-day visit to Bangladesh. This is the first foreign visit of President Kovind since the Covid-19 outbreak.