Myanmar will start the process of repatriating Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh's camps within two months in 'a breakthrough' in bilateral relations, the foreign secretary has said, reports bdnews24.com.
M Shahidul Haque said they would start the process of taking back 2,415 of its nationals it verified earlier.
The decision was conveyed at the secretary-level talks on Sunday.
Myanmar's Deputy Foreign Minister U Thant Kyaw led his side to the meeting, known as 'Foreign Office Consultation' (FOC).
Foreign Secretary Haque told journalists after the meeting both sides agreed on a number of measures to take the relations forward.
The meeting was held in "open, frank, and cordial" manner that he said indicated "greater understanding between the two countries".
Myanmar side was not present at the briefing.
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, put the number in Bangladesh at over 200,000 with 30,000 documented refugees living in two government-run camps -at Kutupalong and Nayaparha - within two kilometres of the Myanmar border.
The foreign secretary believed that by agreeing to take back them again "Myanmar acknowledged that they were their citizens".
He said both sides wanted to strengthen the relations.
"It's (start of repatriation) a breakthrough," he said.
He said a joint working group with members from both sides and international organisations would work on the repatriation process.
Bangladesh sought specific timeline from Myanmar on taking back its nationals in the meeting.
The foreign secretary, however, would not make any "hypothetical comment" on whether Myanmar would take back all of its nationals.
Both sides also decided to form a joint commission to discuss bilateral issues at the foreign ministers' level.
Secretary Haque said the Myanmar foreign minister would visit Bangladesh in January for the meeting.
He said Bangladesh also floated the idea and gave them the draft proposal of "a broader framework" between the two countries to discuss all issues.
There would be eight components under the 'Framework Arrangement on Trust and Cooperation for Development', he said.
These are strengthening the trust; security and cooperation dialogue; trade and connectivity; energy, environment and natural disaster; agriculture and rural development; education, health and culture; sub-regional cooperation; and cooperation in the Bay-of-Bengal.
