Yangon urged to stop offshore exploration until disputes settled

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FE Report
Dhaka has urged Yangon to stop oil and gas explorations in the offshore blocks in the Bay of Bengal until the disputes are resolved, said officials.
Bangladesh additional foreign secretary MAK Mahmood made the call to his Myamnar counterpart on the inaugural day of the two-day technical-level meeting between these two countries that started in the Foreign Ministry in the city Sunday.
Myanmar's deputy minister Maung Moyint is leading the 11-member team in the talks between two neighbouring countries.
Both the sides, however, were locked in debate over the methodology for the maritime delimitations.
Mahmood, who is leading the Bangladesh delegation in the meeting, stressed on resolving the dispute under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provision. Both Myanmar and Bangladesh are signatories to the UNCLOS, adopted in 1982.
Bangladesh favoured the 'equity' principle in delimitating the sea-border, while Yangon emphasised 'equidistant' policy.
Myanmar was favouring to adopt a 'friendship line' claiming that the sea-territory should be determined by this line based on discussions during 1970s, which, however, never got approval as no agreement was signed in this connection.
The application of 'equidistant' line would frustrate the very purpose of maritime delimitation to ensure an equitable result. If the 'equidistant' principle is applied, Bangladesh will become self-locked, the foreign secretary said.
The meeting is set to conclude today (Monday), and the Myanmar delegation is expected to meet Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury and Foreign Secretary Md Tauhid Hossain after the meeting.