Nepal-Bangladesh talks on trade transit deferred until early May

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FE Report
The two-day commerce secretary level meeting between Bangladesh and Nepal scheduled to be held in Dhaka on March 30 next has been deferred until May 3, sources said.
Nepal has requested for deferral as it could not finalise the concrete modalities for establishing connectivity between the two countries under a proposed transit deal, it is learnt.
Nepal might consult with Indian commerce ministry on details of the connectivity issue before the meeting with Bangladesh, sources added.
The secretary level meeting will focus on further integration in sub-regional perspective and mutual recognition of each other's testing and standardisation certificates, a high official added.
Officials in the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) said the commerce secretaries of the two countries are expected to devise strategies for the implementation of the relevant clauses of joint communiqué, signed between premiers of India and Bangladesh in New Delhi recently.
Dhaka had expressed its desire to give Nepal and Bhutan access to Mongla and Chittagong ports.
"It is more likely that commerce secretary level meeting between Dhaka and New Delhi will be held before a similar meeting between Dhaka and Katmandu", a top trade official told the FE.
"Nepal is probably going slow and wants to see trade and transit related developments between Dhaka and New Delhi before taking its decision."
He, however, could not say any specific date for India-Bangladesh commerce secretary level meeting.
"There are a number of issues in the proposed draft of Nepal -Bangladesh transit deal, where Nepal needs to consult more conclusively with India before reaching a consensus with Bangladesh," a high official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.