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Defence coop to rule FM's US visit

DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT
Security issues, defence cooperation and regional matters are likely to dominate Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan's official trip to Washington beginning May 20.
Incidentally, the US trip at the invitation of Secretary of State Colin Powell will be the first bilateral visit of the foreign minister since taking office.
Besides official talks with the US secretary of state, Khan will visit the Pentagon, the headquarters of the American military, hold a meeting with the US national security advisor and visit some academic and defence institutions during his four-day trip to Washington, D.C.
The US trip will also take him to New York to hold discussions on peacekeeping with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and senior officials of the UN Headquarters. Khan will be in Canada on May 30 and 31 to hold talks with the foreign minister of that country.
Ahead of his US tour, the foreign minister will leave Dhaka on May 12 to attend the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) meeting in Botswana that among other issues will discuss the issue of suspension of Pakistan and Fiji from the Commonwealth.
Speaking to members of Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Bangladesh (DCAB) at the press club yesterday Khan said besides bilateral matters, "more current and wide-ranging issues concerning our mutual interests relating to security, regional and global matters would also be discussed" during his talks with his US counterpart
He explained that terrorism was the common concern of the 21st century and Bangladesh would stand by the US in condemning it.
The foreign minister rejected suggestions that Dhaka would convey assurance on the matter of oil and gas export or the Chittagong port as speculated widely.
On gas export, he said, "We have never said yes or no about the export of gas. Our position is clear. We have set up two committees to assess our reserves and make
recommendations. Till their report is out, we have nothing to discuss on the (oil and gas) issue."
As for increased access of garments to US market, Morshed Khan said, "I am not going to make specific requests. What I am going to tell them is about the support and cooperation we have extended to the US as its trusted ally. It is for them to meet our expectations."
Asked if the US wanted Bangladesh to sign the Status Of Forces Agreement (SOFA) turned down earlier by the former government, he said if any suggestions are made, it will be decided at a political level after considering the situation on the ground.
From the US capital, the foreign minister will proceed to New York where he will visit the UN and hold talks with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and also senior officials of the UN Peace Keeping Department.
He will be in Canada at the end of the month to discuss bilateral, regional and international issues with his counterpart.
The foreign minister told the correspondents that he would be visiting the Bangladesh troops in Sierra Leone in June. Some 4500 troops from Bangladesh, he said, were there as peacekeepers. Bangladesh soldiers, he said, share meals with the local people, help them with things like writing letters and are much liked by the people as they have managed to become a part of their social fabric.