India’s commitment on Teesta still ‘unchanged’

Visiting Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Tuesday said India is eager to resolve the water sharing issues involving all common rivers of Bangladesh and India through a mutually beneficial formula.

While talking to journalists after his meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, he also mentioned that India's position and commitment with regard to water sharing of the Teesta remained unchanged.

Terming the present era of Indo-Bangla ties as the golden one, Jaishankar said India is committed to providing all possible help to Bangladesh's development endeavours.

"India-Bangladesh ties transcend to strategic partnership. This is a golden age for India-Bangladesh ties thanks to the vision and statesmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," he said.

Mentioning India's 'neighbourhood first' policy, he also made it clear that the present Indian government led by Narendra Modi is determined to project Bangladesh-India ties as a role model of relations between the two neighbours.

He, however, replying to a question, described the National Register of Citizens (NRC), carried out by the Assam government in India, as an internal issue of his country.

He said India and Bangladesh will continue to step up the present pace of improving connectivity in land, rail and waterways between the two countries.

Both the countries will also continue efforts to enhance energy cooperation through a lot of projects, he added.

Jaishankar mentioned that his country wants to see early resolution of the Rohingya issue and has already taken steps for safe repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar.

In this regard, he also mentioned India's assistance in building infrastructure in Rakhine state of Myanmar.

Talking to the newsmen, Foreign Minister Dr Momen said relationship between Bangladesh and India is a role model for the world.

He also thanked the Indian foreign minister for accepting his invitation to come to Dhaka.

The Indian minister said cooperation between India and Bangladesh in the security sector with regard to combating terrorism and extremism has immensely benefited the peoples of both the countries.

During the meeting, the two ministers reaffirmed that relationship between India and Bangladesh, forged in 1971 Liberation War, goes far beyond a strategic partnership.

They also expressed satisfaction over the excellent state of bilateral relations between the two countries, a foreign office spokesperson said.

The two ministers discussed an entire gamut of bilateral issues of mutual interest. They reviewed ongoing cooperation including implementation of the decisions taken at the last meeting of the Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) held in New Delhi in February this year.

"The ministers expressed satisfaction that both the countries are working closer than ever before in every sector, from security and border management, including reducing untoward border incidents, to mutually-beneficial trade and investment, power and energy, river water sharing, including that of the Teesta, development partnership, transport connectivity, culture and consular issues."

They reviewed progress of the projects under the Indian Lines of Credit.

They also discussed preparatory measures in relation to the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in October 2019 when a number of MoUs are expected to be signed, said a foreign ministry statement.

Both the ministers expressed satisfaction that Bangladesh and India are enjoying traditionally close cooperation at multilateral and regional forums such as the United Nations, Commonwealth, BIMSTEC and others.

Before the meeting, Jaishankar visited Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi-32 and paid tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreaths at his portrait there.

He arrived in Dhaka on Monday night and is scheduled to leave for Kathmandu today (Wednesday).

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