Foreign Minister Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury told AFP he had met with the officials involved in the Dhaka talks earlier Monday and did not expect a resolution when they ended later in the evening.

“We have agreed that the differences can be resolved through peaceful discussions. The next discussions will be in Myanmar but no date has been set.”

A tense standoff between the neighbouring countries, which normally enjoy friendly relations, flared earlier this month when Myanmar escorted a South Korean company exploring in the mineral-rich waters.

Bangladesh immediately deployed four ships and put its navy and armed forces on high alert.

“We have expressed that until such a time as a clear demarcation is resolved, there should be no exploration,” said Chowdhury.

Bangladesh faces an acute energy shortage and has invited bids from foreign companies to explore gas reserves in its part of the Bay of Bengal.

Myanmar, which has discovered huge reserves of natural gas in the bay, insists its exploration work is legal.