Japan will work towards the early repatriation of Rohingya people communicating with Myanmar to this end, said Japan ambassador to Bangladesh ITO Naoki.
The Ambassador said that it is important to cooperate with international communities such as the US, European countries, and ASEAN countries and start the confidence-building process as the next step.
The envoy made the remarks while speaking at a virtual event marking the “Japan and Bangladesh -50 Years of Friendship” at Defense Services Command and Staff College recently, according to the Japan embassy Dhaka on Monday.
Ambassador ITO also emphasised how committed Japan has been to realising prosperity of Bangladesh and maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
He underscored the expanding economic ties between the two countries, quality infrastructure projects under BIG-B, and the common vision of Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP).
Mr. Naoki also asked the officers for increasing interactions between the peoples by taking the opportunity of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2022.
He also emphasised cooperation between the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force and the Bangladesh Navy, saying that Free and Open Indo-Pacific(FOIP) is a vision to promote peace and prosperity of the countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
"The core pillars of FOIP are to establish a rules-based international order and consolidate principles such as free trade, freedom of navigation, and the rule of law, to pursue economic prosperity through quality infrastructure and connectivity, and to promote cooperation on peace and stability including anti-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster management," he added.
In 2014, Japan and Bangladesh agreed to launch the initiative of "the Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt (BIG-B)".
The BIG-B initiative is to develop infrastructure, improve investment environment, and foster connectivity along the Dhaka-Chittagong-Cox's Bazar belt area and beyond, he mentioned.
Moheshkhali-Matarbari Integrated Infrastructure Development Initiative (MIDI), the largest Infrastructure project of Bangladesh, is an integral part of BIGB.
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