Myanmar has proposed to draw a new line, near the so-called ‘friendship line,’ for the demarcation of the maritime boundary between Bangladesh and Myanmar.
   Myanmar proposed the formula at the two-day bilateral negotiation with Bangladesh in Nay Pyi Taw, the new Myanmar capital, according to a government official.
   Additional foreign secretary M Khurshid Alam led the Bangladesh delegation to expert-level talks on maritime boundary in March 17–18.
   ‘Bangladesh will now weigh the new proposal of Myanmar,’ the official said.
   Friendship line is an imaginary line down to St Martins Island in the northeast part of the Bay of Bengal.
   He said the two countries would continue maintaining a balance between the principles of equity and equidistance to resolve the dispute of maritime boundary demarcation.
   Bangladesh was pressing for equity principle for the sake of justice and sovereign equality of nations, which would be a win-win situation for both the countries in demarcating sea borders while Myanmar asked for an equidistance method that would lock Bangladesh’s sea zone in the Bay of Bengal.
   Bangladesh has problems with India and Myanmar on the issue of ‘starting point’ on how to demarcate the boundary of the exclusive economic zones that apparently overlapped claims of the three neighbouring countries because of the funnel-like shape of the Bay of Bengal.
   Bangladesh has continued holding bilateral talks with the two neighbours for amicable settlement of the disputes although it has registered its objections with the United Nations to the claims of India and Myanmar.

Comments (0)

Print

Tell friend

Top

---