Express News Service
NEW DELHI: India and Bangladesh on Tuesday made some progress in the contentious river water sharing issue by signing their first accord over one river after 25 years, during the meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with his visiting counterpart, Sheikh Hasina.
The pact was signed on sharing the Kushiyara, one of the 54 rivers that pass through both borders. Hasina brought up the pending Teesta river treaty during the talks, but it would be addressed at a later date. Kushiyari was among the seven Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) signed by both sides.
They also decided to jointly face terrorist and fundamentalist forces that threaten to attack mutual trust.
“We have also discussed terrorism. It’s imperative that we together face the forces that are adversarial to us,” Modi said after the meeting.
Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra termed counter-terrorism and radicalisation as an obstacle and security threat to bilateral ties, adding the two leaders held comprehensive talks on how to improve cooperation on them. Bangladesh is India’s biggest development and trade partner on the subcontinent with bilateral trade reaching $18 billion.
“Across Asia, India is the biggest market for exports from Bangladesh. To further expedite this progress, we will soon initiate discussions on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA),” Modi added.
Kwatra said the CEPA is expected by 2026, by which time Bangladesh would be upgraded as a developing country.
Both leaders held comprehensive talks on the increasing Chinese presence in Bangladesh.
“Discussions between the two leaders have been comprehensive. In this context there is a clear common understanding that the strategic priorities of the relationship of the two countries, interests and concerns of India, and interests and priorities of Bangladesh are all factored in our cooperative matrix of engagement,” the foreign secretary said.
Hasina underlined that India is the most important and closest neighbour of Bangladesh and their bilateral relations are role models for neighbourhood diplomacy.
She added that the two countries have resolved many issues and the leftovers, including Teesta, would be concluded soon.
Last water accord in 1996
The pact on the Kushiyara river will benefit people in south Assam and Sylhet division of Bangladesh.
“There are 54 rivers. As long as Prime Minister Modi is here, India and Bangladesh will resolve all these issues,” Hasina said.
Both sides hoped pacts for other rivers would be signed soon.
The previous river water treaty on sharing the Ganga was signed way back in 1996 for a period of 30 years.
The Teesta water sharing pact was to be clinched in 2011 but West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spiked it.
NEW DELHI: India and Bangladesh on Tuesday made some progress in the contentious river water sharing issue by signing their first accord over one river after 25 years, during the meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with his visiting counterpart, Sheikh Hasina.
The pact was signed on sharing the Kushiyara, one of the 54 rivers that pass through both borders. Hasina brought up the pending Teesta river treaty during the talks, but it would be addressed at a later date. Kushiyari was among the seven Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) signed by both sides.
They also decided to jointly face terrorist and fundamentalist forces that threaten to attack mutual trust.
“We have also discussed terrorism. It’s imperative that we together face the forces that are adversarial to us,” Modi said after the meeting.
Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra termed counter-terrorism and radicalisation as an obstacle and security threat to bilateral ties, adding the two leaders held comprehensive talks on how to improve cooperation on them. Bangladesh is India’s biggest development and trade partner on the subcontinent with bilateral trade reaching $18 billion.
“Across Asia, India is the biggest market for exports from Bangladesh. To further expedite this progress, we will soon initiate discussions on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA),” Modi added.
Kwatra said the CEPA is expected by 2026, by which time Bangladesh would be upgraded as a developing country.
Both leaders held comprehensive talks on the increasing Chinese presence in Bangladesh.
“Discussions between the two leaders have been comprehensive. In this context there is a clear common understanding that the strategic priorities of the relationship of the two countries, interests and concerns of India, and interests and priorities of Bangladesh are all factored in our cooperative matrix of engagement,” the foreign secretary said.
Hasina underlined that India is the most important and closest neighbour of Bangladesh and their bilateral relations are role models for neighbourhood diplomacy.
She added that the two countries have resolved many issues and the leftovers, including Teesta, would be concluded soon.
Last water accord in 1996
The pact on the Kushiyara river will benefit people in south Assam and Sylhet division of Bangladesh.
“There are 54 rivers. As long as Prime Minister Modi is here, India and Bangladesh will resolve all these issues,” Hasina said.
Both sides hoped pacts for other rivers would be signed soon.
The previous river water treaty on sharing the Ganga was signed way back in 1996 for a period of 30 years.
The Teesta water sharing pact was to be clinched in 2011 but West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spiked it.
