Swiss President Alain Berset, now in Dhaka on a four-day official visit, on Monday said the situation of Rohingyas is of great concern to his country and laid emphasis on their safe and voluntary repatriation to Myanmar.
He appreciated Bangladesh for its role in dealing with the biggest humanitarian crisis. “Switzerland commends your government and the people of Bangladesh for the solidarity, assistance and protection offered to the Rohingyas,” President Berset said in a statement after his official talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The Swiss President said Switzerland pledged eight million Swiss Francs at the conference in Geneva in October for emergency humanitarian aid for the Rohingya refugees in the country. “And I’m very pleased to announce today that this year Switzerland will provide an additional 12 million Francs for the Rohingya refugees,” he added. He said the agreement on repatriation between Bangladesh and Myanmar is a positive step towards a solution to the current crisis. “It’ll be important that all returns are voluntary and safe, and carried out in dignity,” said the Swiss President. President Berset will visit Cox’s Bazar on Tuesday to see Rohingya situation on the ground as Switzerland provides humanitarian aid for them. He will leave Dhaka for Cox’s Bazar at 9 am by a Swiss Federal Council Jet and is expected to reach there at 9:40 am, an official told UNB. He will visit the Kutupalong camp in Cox’s Bazar from11:30 am to 1:50 pm on Tuesday and listen to the stories of horrific tortures faced by Rohingya people in Myanmar. The Swiss President will also talk to local press at Kutupalong camp, said the official. He will leave for Dhaka at 3:15 pm and meet civil society representatives in the capital. The Swiss Embassy in Dhaka said the visit is focused on solidarity with a country that is severely affected by the crisis in neighbouring Myanmar and the establishment of closer bilateral relations.
Given the extent of humanitarian crisis (Rohingya), Switzerland earlier called upon the government of Myanmar to fully respect its obligations under international law, particularly to prevent all the human rights violations and abuses, and ensure that the perpetrators of such violations are brought to justice, thus creating the conditions essential for the refugees’ return. Berset arrived here on Sunday on a four-day official visit, the first official visit by any Swiss President to Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, Stating that the root of Rohingya problem lies in Myanmar, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday urged the international community, including Switzerland, to keep up pressure on Myanmar for an early peaceful solution to the crisis.
The Prime Minister came up with the call in a joint statement after a meeting with visiting President of Swiss Confederation Alain Berset at her office. “We had a productive meeting on Monday. We’ve discussed the Rohingya crisis during bilateral talks.
I shared that as the root of the problem lies in Myanmar, the solution has to be found in Myanmar,” she said. “I put emphasis on full and immediate implementation of the recommendations of the Kofi Annan Commission Report, as that will be critically important for the sustainable return of the Rohingya people, in safety and dignity, to their homes in Myanmar,” the Prime Minister said .
At the meeting, she said, they discussed the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which provides a unique opportunity to build new global partnerships. Sheikh Hasina said on Monday both the countries agreed to conclude a framework MoU on collaboration on matters related to the implementation of Agenda 2030 in near future.
A joint declaration identifying the key areas for broader cooperation between the two countries was issued on Monday, she said adding, “We may now ask our respective authorities to develop a roadmap for the implementation of our joint undertakings in a time-bound manner for the shared prosperity of our two people.”
She thanked Alain Berset for making his historic first-ever official visit to Bangladesh and termed it a milestone in 45 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Hasina recalled her visit to Switzerland in December 2000 at the invitation of the then President of the Swiss Confederation.
She said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had great admiration about Switzerland for its democratic values, high economic achievement, unique foreign policy of peace, friendship and firm neutrality.
“Bangabandhu, my father, looked at Switzerland as a model and wanted to develop Bangladesh as the ‘Switzerland of the East’.” Switzerland was among the first few West European countries to recognize Bangladesh as an independent state on 13 March 1972. Ever since Switzerland became an important development partner and a time tested friend, she said.
Hasina appreciated the role played by Switzerland regarding the Rohingya crisis at different United Nations forums and beyond.
“I’m very happy to learn that high-powered business delegations from both countries exchanged views in the first-ever high-level Bangladesh-Swiss Business and Investment Forum held on Monday.”
She hoped that Swiss companies will explore business opportunities in Bangladesh, and invited them to participate in sectors like oil and gas exploration, power and energy including renewable energy, critical infrastructure development, ICT, banking and insurance, and pharmaceuticals.
