New Delhi:
The talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday agreed on many important issues and signed 10 agreements. Key outcomes of talks between PM Modi and Hasina include India soon sending a technical team to Bangladesh for conservation and management of the Teesta River, moving towards opening talks on a comprehensive trade agreement and conservation.
The decision to send an Indian technical team to Bangladesh for talks on conserving the Teesta River is significant as China was eyeing the estimated US $1 billion project despite New Delhi’s objections.
Hasina is likely to visit China next month. Reflecting the growing depth in their relationship, India and Bangladesh also cemented a ‘futuristic vision’ to further facilitate transformative cooperation in the relationship.
Along with this, both sides signed 10 agreements to strengthen relations in important areas like digital sector, maritime sector, maritime economy, railways, space, green technology, health and medicine.
The main focus of the talks between the Prime Ministers of the two countries was to find ways to enhance India-Bangladesh cooperation in digital and energy connectivity. Both sides also resolved to work towards peaceful management of borders between the two countries.
Hasina arrived here on Friday after Modi became Prime Minister for the third consecutive term and became the first foreign leader to visit India bilaterally.
Addressing the media after the talks, PM Modi said that both sides have agreed to start talks on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). “To take our economic relations to new heights, both sides have agreed to start negotiations on CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement),” he said.
PM Modi said that an Indian technical team will soon visit Dhaka for talks on conservation and management of the Teesta River. He said, “54 common rivers connect India and Bangladesh. We are cooperating in flood management, early warning, drinking water schemes. We have decided to start negotiations at the technical level for the renewal of the 1996 Ganga Water Treaty.
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra told a press conference that management of shared water resources is an important and sensitive matter. ‘Naturally, given our close and friendly relations with Bangladesh, transboundary river issues – and the Teesta is one of them – become important,’ he said.
“It has less to do with water sharing, it’s more about managing the flow of water in the Teesta River,” he said. In his remarks, Modi termed people-to-people contacts as the backbone of the relationship between the two countries and said that India will launch an e-medical visa facility for people coming to India from Bangladesh for treatment.
India has also decided to open a new Assistant High Commission in Rangpur. Modi said, ‘Today we have prepared a future vision for cooperation in new areas. The consensus reached on cooperation in several areas like Green Partnership, Digital Partnership, Maritime Economy and Space will benefit the youth of both the countries.
He said, ‘We have focused on connectivity, commerce and cooperation. In the last ten years we have restored pre-1965 connectivity. Now we will put more emphasis on digital and energy connectivity.
The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding titled ‘India-Bangladesh Shared Vision for the Future: Better Connectivity, Commerce and Cooperation for Shared Prosperity’ and also finalized a document linking India’s ‘Develop India 2047’ target with the joint ‘Smart Bangladesh 2041’.
In the talks, Modi and Hasina resolved to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation in areas including defense production and modernization of the Bangladeshi armed forces, and agreed to enhance cooperation in countering terrorism and extremism.
“We had extensive discussions on strengthening defense cooperation, from defense production to modernization of the armed forces,” Modi said. “We have decided to strengthen our alliance on counter-terrorism, counter-radicalisation and peaceful border management,” he said.
Modi said, ‘We share a common vision for the Indian Ocean region. We welcome Bangladesh’s decision to join the Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative. The issue of Rohingya refugees as well as the situation in Myanmar and promoting regional cooperation under the framework of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) group were also discussed.
Prime Minister Modi said that Bangladesh is India’s biggest development partner and New Delhi gives top priority to its relations.
He said, ‘Bangladesh lies at the confluence of our Neighbor First policy, ‘Act East’ policy, Vision ‘Sagar’ and Indo-Pacific Vision.
India is cooperating with the countries of the Indian Ocean region under the comprehensive policy framework of ‘SAGAR’ or Security and Development for All in the Region.
In her remarks, Hasina described India as a key neighbor and trusted friend of Bangladesh.
He said, ‘India is our main neighbour, reliable friend and regional partner. Bangladesh values our relationship with India, which dates back to the 1971 liberation struggle.
Following the talks between PM Modi and Hasina, both sides announced several new measures to promote connectivity and trade.
A passenger train service between Kolkata and Rajshahi was announced soon. A ‘trial run’ of the goods train from Gede-darshan to ‘interchange point’ on the Haldibari-Chilahati border will also begin next month.
A new bus service will also be started between Kolkata and Chittagong. India will provide grants for building an inland container depot in Sirajganj, Bangladesh. In his media statement, Modi also listed various initiatives launched in the last one year to enhance ties.
He said, ‘In the last one year we have together completed many important projects for public welfare. The sixth cross-border rail link between India and Bangladesh has become operational between Akhoura-Agartala.
He said, ‘Khulna-Mongla Port has started a cargo facility for the North-Eastern states of India. Mongla port is connected by rail for the first time. Both the units of the 1320 MW Maitri Thermal Power Plant have started generating electricity.
Modi said that trade between the two countries has started in Indian rupees. He said, ‘The world’s longest river cruise on the river Ganga between India and Bangladesh has been successfully completed. The first cross-border friendship pipeline between India and Bangladesh has been completed.
He said, ‘The export of electricity from Nepal to Bangladesh through the Indian grid has become the first example of sub-regional cooperation in the energy sector.’ The Prime Minister said that the implementation of such major initiatives in so many sectors in a single year reflects the pace and scale of our relationship.
At the press conference, Kwatra said that the Rohingya issue was discussed. He said, ‘This is an issue that India and Bangladesh have discussed from time to time at various levels of dialogue… Humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya is something that we have offered in the past. We will continue to work with Bangladesh on this.
He said, ‘The Rohingya challenge that Bangladesh is facing has many facets. Some of these are for us too. So, those challenges were also discussed. In response to a question, Kwatra said that the issue of killing of Bangladeshi MP Anwarul Azim Anar in Kolkata also came up in the conversation. “The matter is still under investigation and law enforcement agencies of both the countries are coordinating and sharing necessary information,” he said.