Rohingya Muslim people at a temporary shelter in western Myanmar (Photo: VNA)New Delhi (VNA) –Myanmar and Bangladesh will hold a ministerial meeting to discuss thehumanitarian crisis faced by thousands of Rohingya Muslims, according to anannouncement at the end of the 13th Asia-EuropeMeeting (ASEM) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on November21.
The meeting is scheduled to takeplace on November 22. ForeignMinister of Bangladesh Abul Hassen Mahmud Ali will attend the meeting, withMyanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi also likely to participate.
At a press conference, Suu Kyi didnot specify the time period needed to reach an agreement that would allow thereturn, under safe conditions, of more than 618,000 members of the RohingyaMuslim community that have sought refuge in Bangladesh.
Rohingya Muslims began fleeing fromMyanmar’s Rakhine state in huge numbers after government clearing operationsbegan in late August, after Rohingya insurgents attacked security outposts.
Myanmar and Bangladesh havepreviously worked to solve the crisis but the upcoming meeting will be thefirst time the two countries address the issue at the ministerial level.
The United Nations and the EuropeanUnion have repeatedly urged the two countries to initiate talks to solve thecrisis.-VNA
