Bangladesh and India yesterday agreed to expand cooperation in the regional, sub-regional and international arenas. “The key message is to have a deeper friendship [with India]. We want cooperation, they also want cooperation,” Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque told reporters at a press conference at the ministry after his meeting with visiting Indian Foreign Secretary Dr S Jaishankar.
Shahidul said the Indian side sought deeper regional and bilateral ties, although political issues were not discussed. “We are seeing a major change in Indian foreign policy towards its neighbours,” he said.
Responding to a question on the Teesta water-sharing issue, he said India responded positively that the issue would be settled. Two sub-regional issues were discussed – water and power links, and connectivity and transport links. The next meeting on sub-regional cooperation with India, Bhutan and Nepal will be held in the second half of the year.
Shahidul said improving the capacities of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) were discussed.
The foreign secretary said India would remove all trade barriers and would soon respond to a list of para-tariff barriers submitted to the Indian side. The visiting Indian foreign secretary also met Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, calling it a constructive meeting. Asked whether the Teesta issue was discussed at the meeting, the Indian foreign secretary parried the question saying: “That’s all I would like to say at this time.” Jaishankar, who took over as Indian foreign secretary on January 29, arrived yesterday morning from Bhutan as part of a Saarc tour.
He will leave for Pakistan today, wrapping up a less than 24-hour stay in Dhaka. He is scheduled to visit Afghanistan on March 4. Visit with PM
Jaishankar handed over a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sent by her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, during a courtesy call at her Sangsad Bhaban office yesterday. The Prime Minister’s Press Secretary AKM Shameem Chowdhuri said: “Modi, in the letter, has reiterated his invitation to Sheikh Hasina to visit India.”
Hasina said she was keenly waiting to welcome the Indian prime minister. The prime minister’s press secretary said the Indian foreign secretary informed Hasina that New Delhi would sign two deals – on trade protocol and on coastal shipping – with Dhaka.
-Dhaka Tribune
