Bangladesh is ready to sign agreement with Switzerland to collect information on funds deposited by Bangladeshis with Swiss banks, an issue that created a row of late.
"We want to prevent money laundering so we are always ready to sign such an agreement," Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen said Tuesday.
Recently Swiss envoy in Dhaka Natalie Chuard suggested that there should be an agreement between the two countries to exchange information on such offshore bank accounts.
But her remarks that Bangladesh government had not sought information from Switzerland on specific funds deposited by the Bangladeshis with Swiss banks drew criticisms from the government as Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen termed her comment untrue.
Talking to a group of reporters at the foreign ministry Mr Masud said confusions might lead the Swiss envoy in Bangladesh to say that.
"Maybe, she was not informed properly and there are confusions regarding the meaning of the Swiss authorities in such cases."
The Swiss government and the Swiss banking authorities are different entities as banking authorities are independent, he notes. Responding to a question he said Bangladesh always is eager to maintain warm ties with Switzerland and hoped that the recent affairs centring the remark of the Swiss envoy would not affect the ties.
Meanwhile, in line with instructions from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the foreign ministry has started looking for cheaper oil sources.
The foreign ministry also keeps Russia in mind as an alternative source as the PM Tuesday questioned if India could procure oil from Russia, why not Bangladesh.
Commenting on the issue the Foreign Secretary, Masud Bin Momen, told the reporters that Bangladesh lacks the capability to refine Russian crude oil.
"Our refineries are not equipped to refine Russian crude oil," he said, adding that a team of experts would visit Bangladesh soon to assess the possibility of upgrading the local refineries so that Russian oil can be refined here.
But, he admits, it takes a long time.
In that case, the country will intensify its search in the Middle-East.
"We have very close ties with the oil-producing Middle-east countries, and we can look for cheaper sources there," he says.
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