United News of Bangladesh

Noting that Bangladesh is positively considering the Makkah Defence Agreement, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir on Saturday reiterated that peace and stability in the Middle East and the Muslim world are central to its consideration of the Makkah Defence Agreement. Talking to reporters after a seminar at the Foreign Service Academy, he said maintaining peace in the region encompassing Makkah and Madinah is a key objective, adding that Bangladesh could deploy its peacekeeping expertise more effectively and extensively across the world. Kobir said initiatives regarding participation in the agreement or association with the alliance are being considered positively, with regional peace and stability remaining the priority. He said any decision will be guided by national interests and the potential contribution of the country's peacekeeping expertise to regional peace and stability. He said the next chapter of Bangladesh-Saudi Arabia relations should therefore be defined by value creation rather than volume alone. “We are having positive discussions on the Makkah Defence Agreement. We are viewing it positively,” he said while addressing the national seminar at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital. “If it falls within the national interests of Bangladesh and converges, and we feel that our peacekeeping expertise can add value in serving Muslim nations and keeping a stable, peaceful Middle East, then there is every scope to take a positive decision on the matter,” he said. The state minister also said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had accepted an invitation from Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince to visit the Kingdom. “He has accepted and will do so at some point very soon,” Kobir said.