Korean firm stops Bay of Bengal exploration - minister
Fri Nov 7, 2008 1:00pm IST
DHAKA (Reuters) - A Korean company hired by Myanmar to explore for oil and gas in disputed waters in the Bay of Bengal is withdrawing, a senior Bangladesh foreign ministry official said on Friday.
"The Daewoo-Myanmar company, a South Korean firm appointed by Myanmar for oil and gas exploration in the Bay of Bengal, has started the process of withdrawal from areas Bangladesh claims to be her territorial water," said Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Foreign Affairs adviser (minister).
"The government of the Republic of Korea and the Daewoo company informed us that the dismantling process had begun which might take a few days to complete," he told Reuters.
Iftekhar said Bangladesh still hoped for a peaceful resolution of the dispute in the Bay, where both countries have deployed navy ships.
Dhaka has noted the issue to China, a friend of both.
In Yangon, a Foreign Ministry official said on Thursday Myanmar had only "paused" in its exploration activities in the disputed waters.
"We don't have any reason to change our stance on this matter because it is located in our exclusive economic zone," said the Foreign Ministry official, who declined to be identified.
"We will continue it soon and move somewhere else within our zone when it's finished," he said of the exploration work.
Meanwhile, the head of Bangladesh's army-backed interim government, Fakhruddin Ahmed, held a meeting on Thursday with the armed forces chiefs and foreign ministry officials to take stock of the situation.
Iftekhar said the meeting underscored Bangladesh's "strong resolve" to protect sovereign territory, including in the Bay.
Yangon summoned the Bangladesh ambassador on Sunday to protest against Dhaka's actions, after Dhaka had done the same for Yangon's envoy to lodge a protest over Myanmar's moves.
A Bangladesh diplomatic mission led by Foreign Secretary Touhid Hossain is in Yangon to discuss the issue, ministry officials said.
Bangladesh was also in contact with some diplomats, including the Chinese ambassador in Dhaka and Bangladeshi ambassadors abroad, trying to find a solution, foreign ministry officials said.
China's foreign ministry on Thursday urged both countries to take measures to resolve the dispute amicably.
Bangladesh and Myanmar have been holding talks for years to settle their claims in the Bay of Bengal.
Technical delegations from both sides were scheduled to meet in Dhaka on Nov. 16 and 17 to discuss maritime boundary demarcation, officials said.
Korean firm stops Bay of Bengal exploration - minister | Reuters