The international community must help Bangladesh as it tends to the critical needs of the victims of ethnic cleansing.”
At a time when the world’s wealthiest countries have turned refugees away, it has opened its doors to nearly a million people. “Bangladesh cannot be abandoned to deal with this situation alone. The needs of the local host communities, which have been severely affected, must also be carefully considered. The refugees also need food, clean water and healthcare. The threat of diseases, such as diphtheria, measles and cholera, has to be aggressively combated with mass vaccinations and appropriate sanitation. “As the monsoon season looms, there is a great risk of landslides and floods striking the camps. This is not a short-term crisis and there is little prospect of them being able to return to their homes in Rakhine State any time soon. “The money is urgently needed to help the Rohingya refugees to be able to live in safe and adequate living conditions in the camps in Bangladesh. He also said there are also opportunities for Canadian companies in his country’s developing nuclear energy program and in shale gas exploration.Responding to the news that UN officials have called for nearly $1bn (USD) in assistance for the nearly one million Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar District, Amnesty International’s South Asia Director, Biraj Patnaik, said: In the next 10 years, Turkey will launch 150 infrastructure projects worth hundreds of billions of dollars, many in the transportation sector. That appeared to go a long way towards bridging the gap between the two countries, both NATO allies.īabali reiterated what Davutolu said during his visit - that Turkey would like to strike a joint commission with Armenians to discuss the historical facts surrounding the issue.ĭuring the visit, Baird did not back away from his government’s earlier position, but said he appreciated the sensitivities at play.īabali said Turkey wants deeper economic ties with Canada, and it appears the country is open for business despite any bitterness over the Armenia policy. Atilla Altikat, the country’s military attache gunned down in Ottawa, allegedly by Armenian terrorists, 30 years earlier. It unveiled a cone-shaped metal-and-wood monument dedicated to Col. Last summer, Canada took steps to heal the rift with Turkey. Last year, when France passed a law that makes it a crime to deny the Armenian genocide, Turkey responded by suspending military, economic and political ties. Baird cancelled a planned trip in November, Babali said, because of an important cabinet meeting in Ottawa.
He said Turkey would like to open free trade talks with Canada.īut on the genocide question, Babali said Turkey would like to see a gesture from Canada that the government is “trying to leave this behind us.”Ī significant gesture would be a “high level” visit by Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird to Turkey. The $2.5 billion in two-way trade between countries “is far from the potential” of what Turkey predicts would result from deeper economic ties: $10-$15 billion within five years, he said. Talking about positive things is ok, but it takes two to tango.” Article contentīabali said he suspects Canada is not engaging as quickly as Turkey would like because the genocide issue is still hanging over relations. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.