By Nawab Khan BRUSSELS, April 4 (KUNA) -- The Foreign Minister in the caretaker government of Bangladesh, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, underlined Friday that his country enjoys excellent ties with Kuwait and the other Gulf states.

"The Gulf countries have many things in common with us.
We are all members of the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Conference). We share a faith. We also have a huge Diaspora in those countries," Chowdhury told KUNA in Brussels.
"We are constantly meeting and talking to them. Relations are excellent with Kuwait, said Chowdhury who also served as his countrys ambassador in Qatar (1994-1996).
Earlier, speaking at the prestigious Belgian think-tank Egmont he said elections in Bangladesh will be held before December of this year.
50 million out of 80 million voting cards have been registered till now, noted the foreign minister of the large South Asian Muslim nation of 150 million people.
"So far everything is on track. There will be no deviation from this goal he said, adding that his government wants to achieve the polls "without a bomb going off and without a shot being fired." But Chowdhury who was appointed to his post in January laast year said that emergency rule proclaimed in January 2007 will not be lifted before the elections.
Speaking on the topic "Democracy in Bangladesh: A way forward," he described Bangladesh as "an oasis of stability" pointing out that for the last 14 months there have been no acts of violence in the country.
Chowdhury, currently visiting Belgium, met Friday EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and discussed the current situation in Bangladesh and in the region and EU-Bangladesh relations.
Solana underlined the importance of holding free and fair parliamentary elections by the end of the year in Bangladesh, according to a statement issued by his office.
On Thursday, Chowdhury also held talks with EU Commissioner for external relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner and opened an exhibition on paintings from Bangladesh at the European Commission.

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