Momen to hold bilateral talks with India, China and Russia counterparts in Tashkent

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen will be holding bilateral meetings with his counterparts from India, China and Russia in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent where he will seek cooperation for speedy vaccine supply and solving Rohingya crisis.

"For us, vaccine supply and Rohingya repatriation are high priorities. All these countries are very important players in this regard," said a foreign ministry official today.

Momen will be flying to Uzbekistan tomorrow morning to attend the two-day conference on Central and South Asian Connectivity Challenges and Opportunities to be hosted by Uzbek government.

Delegates from 57 countries, including state or government heads from at least three countries, will be attending the two-day event from July 15-16.

Uzbekistan, a landlocked country, is seeking to improve connectivity in the Central Asian as well as with South Asian countries. Bangladesh, which is becoming a connectivity hub in South and Southeast Asia, also wants to connect to the Central Asia.

Apart from the conference, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen will hold some important bilateral meetings including with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Momen will request his Indian counterpart to begin vaccine supply to Bangladesh at the earliest. A vaccine purchase deal is also pending with Russia. Bangladesh has sent the necessary documents but is yet to receive the response yet, an official concerned said.

Foreign Minister will request for quick signing of the deal, as well as on the co-production of vaccines in Bangladesh.

China is supplying Sinopharm vaccines but a deal with Sinovac is pending. Besides, he will also speak of quickly beginning vaccine co-production, the official said.

"All these three countries are also important ones in terms of Rohingya crisis. We will request them to help address the crisis and their return from Bangladesh," he said.

Minister Momen will return to Dhaka on July 19.