By NNN-BSS
New York : Adviser for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh caretaker government Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury has said that in the field of foreign policy Bangladesh has taken a ‘balanced position’ giving national interest a top priority.
Dr Chowdhury, who is in New York in connection with a meeting of the LDCs, was talking to newsmen here on Wednesday at the Bangladesh mission here.
Bangladesh permanent representative Ismat Jahan and consul general M Shamsul Haque were present on the occasion.
Chowdhury said that the relations with the United States, Russia and Japan have been further strengthened. He said the people must be united with regard to foreign policy.
The relations with the neighboruing countries including India should be further strengthened protecting national interest unity, he added.
Similarly, he said relations with the United Kingdom and the European Union have also been cemented and we have also set our eyes on the East Asia.
Replying to a question on the existing relations with the Saudi Arabia, the foreign adviser said that relation with Saudi Arabia has always been strong and friendly. He said 1.7 million Bangladeshi workers have been employed in Saudi Arabia and only last year two lakh 26 thousand workers had gone to that country. (One Lakh:100,000)
He said that during 2007 a total of 8,32,000 workers got employment abroad. “We are now planning to send skilled and technical workers from Bangladesh and have set up 37 training centres,” he added.
Responding to a question on polls, the adviser said that national elections would be held within December this year, which is a government commitment. “We must have stability if we want to prosper,” he said.
On price spiral of essentials, the adviser said that it is a problem, which we recognise. “It is also a global problem. But we have adequate stock of food. At present we have a stock of 4.81 lakh tonnes of food.