ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh will not send a representative to the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) summit in New Delhi, its state minister for foreign affairs said, following uncertainty about Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s participation in the meeting.
Rahman was invited to the summit as chair of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), a regional grouping of seven Bay of Bengal countries. Bangladesh is not a member of BRICS, Bangla Online News Portal reported.
“There is no scope for sending any representative,” State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir told journalists after an international conference on the Rohingya crisis in Dhaka, according to New Age, a Bangladeshi news outlet.
The 18th BRICS Summit is scheduled for Sept 12-13 in the Indian capital, New Age said.
Kobir said the invitation was extended to Rahman as BIMSTEC chair, not as Bangladesh’s prime minister. India invited Rahman to attend the summit’s outreach session in that capacity, Prothom Alo, a Bangladeshi newspaper, reported.
Kobir also ruled out sending another Bangladeshi official in Rahman’s place. “They invited the BIMSTEC chair, so are we going to send the secretary general of BIMSTEC?” he said, according to New Age.
Instead, Rahman is expected to make a separate bilateral visit to India when conditions are favorable, Kobir said. He said Bangladesh was placing greater importance on bilateral visits and discussions.
“When the environment is favorable and mutual respect is maintained, bilateral visits will take place,” Kobir said, according to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Bangladesh’s state news agency, as cited by Prothom Alo.
Prothom Alo reported that Bangladesh and India have discussed the possible visit for several days. India had previously invited Rahman for a bilateral visit after he became Bangladesh’s prime minister in February, and the newspaper reported that diplomatic discussions later focused on a possible trip.
Kobir said Bangladesh and India were also continuing trade discussions, according to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. He said no final decision or new development was available to announce.