Bangladesh, India to hold secretary-level talks in March

Bangladesh and India today agreed to hold a series of secretary-level talks. These talks will include Joint Rivers Commission in the run up to the summit meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her counterpart Narendra Modi in Dhaka this March.

The two countries stressed the need to increase fund utilisation and expedite approval process for development projects in Bangladesh under India's Line of Credit; in addition to agreeing on renewal of the bilateral air bubble agreement that facilitates essential travel between them, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

Besides the Secretary-level JRC meeting, the Home and Commerce Secretaries of the two countries will also meet before the March summit.

The decisions were taken at the two-hour Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) meeting co-chaired by Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Masud bin Momen and his Indian counterpart Harsh Vardhan Shringla at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.

"Both sides agreed to hold the next Home Secretary-level talk, Commerce Secretary-level talk and the Secretary-level meeting of Joint Rivers Commission before the March 2021 Summit," the Indian External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

The decision to hold the JRC meeting assumes importance as Masud bin Momen had, before leaving for Delhi for the FOC talks, made it clear that Bangladesh was looking forward to Teesta river water-sharing deal which has been in limbo for the last decade due to stiff resistance by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The Commerce Secretaries' meeting would be keenly watched as the two countries are reportedly close to finalisation of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement that will allow freer two-way trade and services.

At the FOC meeting today, which began at 1130 hours local time, both sides held a comprehensive review of the progress achieved in the bilateral relationship, including in areas of Covid-19 cooperation, trade, connectivity, development partnership, power, energy and water resources, regional and multilateral cooperation as well as border management and security and defence cooperation, the statement said.

The discussion also focused on preparations for the forthcoming visit of Indian Prime Minister Modi to Dhaka in March and events relating to the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between New Delhi and Dhaka.

The two countries noted with appreciation the cooperation on Covid-19 related issues, including India's gift of two million doses of Covishield vaccines to Bangladesh.

Underscoring the importance of the year 2021 due to the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Bangladesh, the 50th year of bilateral diplomatic ties and the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, both sides decided to strengthen the ongoing coordination to jointly commemorate these anniversaries.

Both sides expressed appreciation for the participation of the Bangladesh tri-service marching contingent at India's Republic Day Parade on January 26 and noted the significance of the event in reminding present generations in the two countries about the struggles and sacrifices of Indian and Bangladeshi peoples during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.

"The two sides agreed to maintain the steady momentum of bilateral cooperation and people to people ties and "in this regard, both sides noted with satisfaction the renewal of the air travel bubble arrangement that will facilitate essential travel between the two sides," said the MEA statement.

The Bangladesh Foreign Secretary was accompanied by Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Muhammad Imran, Secretary (East) Mashfee Shams and representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Commerce and Water Resources of Bangladesh.

The Indian delegation consisted of representatives from the Ministries of External Affairs, Home, Commerce and Industry, Jal Shakti and Finance.

During his stay in New Delhi, the Bangladesh Foreign Secretary will visit the Bangabandhu-Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi) Digital Exhibition currently on display at Vigyan Bhawan and will be interacting with Indian Foreign Service Officer Trainees at the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service.