AIIB\\\'s 1st Chief Negotiator Meeting on November 28

FE Team | Published: November 26, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

The first Chief Negotiator's Meeting (CNM) of the recently launched China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will he held on November 28 in Kunming with representatives from Bangladesh and 20 other founding-member countries participating in it, reports UNB.
"The CNM is likely to discuss the framing of AIIB's Article of Agreement (AoA) and the appointment of its Chief Counsel," Additional Secretary of the Economic Relations Division (ERD) Mohammad Asif uz Zaman said.
He said the AIIB received the name of former Chief Lawyer of the World Bank Natalie Lichtenstein as its probable Chief Counsel. "Once appointed, the Chief Counsel will help frame the Article of Agreement (AoA) of the bank."
Asif uz Zaman said the World Bank Head Office and the WB country director for Mongolia, China and Korea have nominated the name of Natalie Lichtenstein.
Asif said a two-member Bangladesh delegation, led by him, will leave here for Kunming on November 27 to join the first CNM of the AIIB billed for November 28.
He said the CNM meeting will also discuss the work plan of the Bank as well the necessary formalities to frame the draft Article of Agreement (AoA) to be placed at the second meeting of the CNM. Asif uz Zaman will act as the Chief Negotiator for Bangladesh while ERD Deputy Secretary Dr AKM Matiur Rahman as the Alternate Chief Negotiator.
The ERD senior official said that the AIIB was expected to launch its formal operations by the end of 2015 while Bangladesh may get assistance from the Bank by 2016.
Sources at the ERD said the government already formed a seven-member steering committee headed by ERD Additional Secretary Asif uz Zaman as its convener to examine the MoU and other related aspects of the AIIB.
The Terms of Reference of the committee is to examine the MoU of the AIIB, capital distribution (sponsor share, regional share, non-regional share), put forward recommendations about the retaining of possible shares of the Bank by Bangladesh as its founding member.