Fifth Meeting of Myanmar-Bangladesh Joint Working Group held virtually

The Fifth Meeting of the Myanmar-Bangladesh Joint Working Group (JWG) on the repatriation of displaced persons from Rakhine State was held via videoconference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nay Pyi Taw on 14 June 2022.
The Meeting was co-chaired by U Chan Aye, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar and Mr Masud Bin Momen, Foreign Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh and attended by the Joint Working Group (JWG) members of both sides.
At the Meeting, both sides exchanged views on the status of verification for the displaced persons and difficulties encountered during the verification process, preparation works done prior to the commencement of the repatriation of the verified displaced persons, resettlement plans for the prospective returnees as well as trust and confidence- building measures before their voluntary return.
The two sides also deliberated on repatriating the displaced persons from Rakhine State in accordance with the bilateral agreements signed between the two countries as well as with the health protocol on prevention, control and treatment of Covid-19 issued by the Ministry of Health, Myanmar and resolving matters related to verification through the existing bilateral mechanism: the Ad-Hoc Task Force for Verification of the Displaced Persons from Rakhine State.
The Myanmar delegation also apprised the meeting of the efforts undertaken by the Myanmar Government to ensure the prevalence of security and rules of law in Rakhine State, renovation works of the reception centres, the transit camp and houses, preparations and arrangements made for the livelihood, health and education basic services for the prospective returnees, and cooperation with the international development partners, ASEAN and the UN agencies in creating a conducive environment in the process of resettlement of the displaced persons from Rakhine State.
The date and venue for the upcoming Sixth Meeting of the Joint Working Group will be communicated through the diplomatic channel.—MNA