Momen urges EU to withdraw GSP from Myanmar

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DHAKA, Oct 31, 20189 (BSS) – Foreign Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen today said he urged the countries under European Union (EU) to withdraw the General System Preferences (GSP) from Myanmar products to enter European markets for creating more pressure on Nay Pyi Taw in resolving Rohingya crisis.

“I told them (European leaders), you are admitting that genocide was committed in Myanmar …. but on the other hand, you are keeping GSP facilities in favour of the same country (Myanmar) … it looks odd,” he told reporters at his office today while briefing on his recent four-nation Europe tour.

The foreign minister came home yesterday after making a two-week tour to Germany, France, Italy and Greece focusing economic diplomacy as well as mounting international pressure on Myanmar to start safe and dignified repatriation of Rohingyas from Bangladesh.

During his meeting with the European leaders, Momen said he proposed them to withdraw the EU’s trade facilities from Myanmar until they are not taking back their people from Bangladesh.

Momen said the European leaders assured him that they would raise the issue of imposing trade sanction on Myanmar at the EU forums.

The GSP is a preferential tariff system which provides tariff reduction on various products for entering to a particular market.

Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million forcefully displaced Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar district and most of them arrived there since August 25, 2017 after a military crackdown by Myanmar, which the UN called a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing” and “genocide” by other rights groups.