Humaiun seeks continued UK backing for Rohingya repatriation efforts

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke meets State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir at the foreign ministry on Sunday. Photo: MoFA

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir on Sunday urged the United Kingdom to sustain its support for international efforts to ensure safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingyas to Myanmar.

He made the call when British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke paid a courtesy call on him at the foreign ministry, according to a ministry press release.

Kobir appreciated the UK’s continued support for the Rohingyas and stressed the importance of maintaining international engagement towards finding a sustainable solution to the protracted crisis.

He particularly urged the UK to continue its role in international efforts aimed at creating conditions for the safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return of the Rohingyas to their homeland in Myanmar.

In response, the British High Commissioner assured that the UK would continue to play its leadership role as the penholder on the Myanmar crisis at the United Nations Security Council.

Cooke also assured that London would continue working to keep the Rohingya issue high on the international agenda.

During the meeting, the British envoy congratulated Kobir on his assumption of office and expressed confidence that the Bangladesh-UK partnership would continue to grow stronger.

The two sides noted with satisfaction the deep-rooted historical ties and strong people-to-people connections between Bangladesh and the UK.

They discussed ways to further deepen cooperation in trade and investment, strengthen long-term economic ties and enhance collaboration in Bangladesh’s aviation sector.

The state minister and the British envoy also exchanged views on increasing cooperation in other priority areas, including education, migration and mobility, skills development and security.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest.

Talking to journalists after the meeting, Cooke said the UK-Bangladesh partnership continued to go “from strength to strength”, underpinned by deep people-to-people connections, vibrant economic ties and cooperation on regional and global issues.

She said her discussion with Kobir covered a broad range of shared priorities, including trade and investment, migration cooperation and support for the Rohingya response, alongside regional and international issues of mutual interest.

“Our conversation covered a wide range of shared priorities, including trade and investment, migration cooperation, support for the Rohingya response, and regional and international issues,” Cooke said.

Highlighting the foundation of bilateral relations, the British envoy said Bangladesh and the UK shared a longstanding partnership built on deep connections between the peoples of the two countries.

She said the relationship was also anchored in vibrant trade and investment ties and close cooperation on regional and global issues.

Cooke expressed her readiness to work closely with Kobir and the Bangladesh government to further deepen the bilateral relationship and translate the partnership into concrete gains for both countries.

“I look forward to meeting and to working closely with the Honorable State Minister and, of course, the Government of Bangladesh to build on our strong partnership and deliver tangible benefits for both our countries,” she said.