ON THE RIGHT TRACK: PDAS MOON VISIT HIGHLIGHTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 000092

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/24/2020
TAGS: PHUM PREL UN KVIR PINR BM KN BG
SUBJECT: ON THE RIGHT TRACK: PDAS MOON VISIT HIGHLIGHTS
U.S.-BANGLADESH CONVERGENCE

Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

Summary
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1. (C) In January 21 meetings at the Foreign Ministry, SCA
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Moon and the Ambassador
underscored opportunities for closer U.S.- Bangladesh
cooperation on a wide range of issues including regional
integration, refugees, and multilateral issues. The Foreign
Minister and Foreign Secretary Quayes separately explained
that Bangladesh,s rapprochement with India reflected an
intent to build closer links throughout the region. The
Foreign Secretary acknowledged differences on some
multilateral issues, reiterating the GOB,s position against
UN country-specific human rights resolutions and uncertainty
about Kosovo recognition. The Foreign Secretary reaffirmed
Bangladesh,s reluctance to document Rohingya refugees but
left the door open for further efforts to improve the plight
of the refugees while urging greater repatriation efforts.
End Summary.

A Friend of the United States
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2. (C) During a January 21 meeting, PDAS Moon told FM Dipu
Moni that he was encouraged by the strength of
U.S.-Bangladesh relations and was pleased to be paying his
first visit to Dhaka. The Foreign Minister concurred, adding
that the U.S. and Bangladesh agreed on most issues in
international fora. She noted that when the U.S. Government
recognized &Bangladesh as a friend it is a source of great
strength8 for her country. The Foreign Minister emphasized
that the Awami League government had worked hard to improve
Bangladesh,s relations with others in the region and to
better integrate South Asia as a whole. Moni welcomed
additional U.S. support and repeated previous invitations for
Secretary Clinton and President Obama to visit Bangladesh.

Indo-Bangladesh relations: A new beginning?
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3. (C) PDAS Moon welcomed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,s
successful visit to India and expressed hope for greater
cooperation between the two countries. Foreign Minister Moni
emphasized that the Government of Bangladesh sought greater
cooperation in the South Asia region and not just an
improvement in bilateral ties with India.


4. (C) In their earlier meeting, Foreign Secretary Quayes
told PDAS Moon that Bangladesh could address the great power
disparities with India in one of two ways. The first was
that Bangladesh, as a relatively powerless country, could
turn inward and shut itself off from the rest of the world.
The other would be to focus on regional integration and treat
the border as a &frontier of opportunity8 whereby India
could become part of &our space8 and Bangladesh could be
part of India,s. He opined these polar opposite approaches
had their roots in the partition of India, and reflected the
dominant streams of thought at the time: the two-nation
theory which divided people along religious lines or the idea
that Bengalis should be treated as a composite whole
irrespective of religion. FS Quayes added that neither the
GOB nor the GOI had any insoluble demands and that the
primary issue in negotiations between the two countries had
been how to properly sequence the steps towards closer
cooperation. He reiterated that the bilateral discussions
were part of a broader effort GOB towards greater regional
integration.

United Nations Votes
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5. (C) PDAS Moon expressed to FS Quayes disappointment at
Bangladesh,s decision to oppose country specific UN Human
Rights resolutions on Burma, North Korea and Iran. With
regard to the latter, PDAS Moon noted the support the
resolution had received from several states in the
Organization of Islamic Conference. Quayes insisted that
Bangladesh wanted to build a foreign policy based on values.
However, Quayes noted, the UN General Assembly and other
constituent bodies had passed several rounds of country
specific resolutions, which Bangladesh, as a rule, opposed.
He asserted that Bangladesh,s vote did not reflect a broader
position, but instead pointed to the need for other avenues
for engagement. The FS explained that in the case of the UN
vote on the human rights situation in Burma, Bangladesh had
to take into consideration its relations with a country with
which it shared a border and a number of outstanding

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bilateral issues. The Ambassador pointed out that in regard
to Iran, Bangladesh had little to lose politically given
fellow OIC-member Saudi Arabia,s support for the resolution
and the absence of any close linkages like Burma). Moon
added that human rights issues were internationally accepted
principles and that the world community must unite in their
favor.

Rohingya Refugees
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6. (C) PDAS Moon told the Foreign Secretary the U.S.
Government wished to see greater numbers of Rohingya properly
documented and was willing to offer assistance. The Foreign
Secretary reiterated the GOB,s adherence to the principle of
non-refoulement of refugees. He mentioned that he had
recently visited the refugee camps and added that Bangladesh
was in a bind with regard to the Rohingya, as it had reason
to believe that many who had been repatriated earlier had not
stayed in Burma. He argued that formal registration under
the auspices of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees would
unduly complicate matters and create difficulties, given
local sentiment against the Rohingya. Bangladesh was looking
along with the International Organization for Migration at
alternatives to formal registration. Quayes called for the
international community to encourage Burma to ensure proper
repatriation of refugees in order to avoid the endless cycle
of repatriation and protection. He said the Government of
Burma and donors should provide more development assistance
to reintegrate the Rohingya population.

Kosovo Recognition
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7. (C) The Ambassador and PDAS Moon raised the issue of
Kosovo recognition with the Foreign Secretary, who said
Bangladesh had not yet made a decision whether it would
recognize Kosovo. Quayes said he valued the U.S. viewpoint
and admitted that the arguments for recognition were
compelling. However, Bangladesh was concerned about the
security of small countries and the precedent that would be
created for all states facing ethnic problems by the
recognition of Kosovo.

Comment
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8. (C) Despite disappointing votes by Bangladesh in the
UN, the GOB recognizes its shared interests and values with
the United States. Bangladesh,s effort to improve relations
with India and other South Asian countries, promoting further
regional economic integration and security cooperation, is in
the direct U.S. national interest. While domestic political
considerations impede GOB documentation of Rohingyas, it was
encouraging to hear that Bangladesh was considering
alternatives to encourage more durable repatriation efforts.
For now, Bangladesh,s policy on Iran and Kosovo remains
hostage to the bureaucracy. Post will continue to encourage
improved regional ties, practical steps to help the
Rohingyas, and more UN votes consistent with U.S. interests.
MORIARTY