Won't take any step that could harm Dhaka's ties with any country: Foreign adviser
Amid reports that Bangladesh plans to sign a G2G agreement with China to establish a military drone manufacturing facility, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Wednesday said the government would not take any step that could harm Dhaka's relations with any country.
"We will definitely not do anything that will deteriorate our relations with any party. We will act while maintaining a balance," he told reporters when a journalist asked about the possible impact of such an agreement on Bangladesh's relations with Washington.
The adviser said Bangladesh needs to enhance the capabilities of its armed forces, citing the Air Force as an example.
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"Our aircraft are very old, and many of them are not even in serviceable condition. We will have to make minimum purchases. There is ongoing discussion about where to procure equipment from and how much to acquire from which country," he said.
Ahead of the formal signing of the agreement with China, media reported said the Ministry of Finance on January 6 approved a project proposal officially titled "Establishment of Manufacturing Plant and Transfer of Technology (ToT) for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)."
Responding to a question about alliance formation, the adviser said Bangladesh has not joined any alliance in the past one and a half years.
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"Discussions on various groupings will continue. If we see that joining a group serves our interests and helps protect them, we will do so. Otherwise, there is no question of joining," he said.
