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BANGLADESH-INDIA-SUMMIT-BRIEFING
Dhaka raised “all issues” in summit with India: Momen
DHAKA, Dec 17, 2020 (BSS) – Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen today said Dhaka was happy with the outcome of Prime Minster Sheikh Hasina’s talks with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi saying all issues of Bangladesh concerns were raised in the summit.
“We raised all kinds of issues we have with India . . . the summit outcome was very good (and) we are happy,” he told a media briefing outlining the talks results at Padma state guesthouse in the capital.
He said the Bangladesh delegation took lion share of the 1:15 hour summit time while vaccine, water sharing, border killing, trade cooperation and connectivity largely dominated the virtual summit.
“Our Prime Minister drew Narendra Modi’s attention about equitable water sharing of common rivers while the Indian side showed their empathy towards,” Momen said.
The Indian high commissioner in Dhaka Vikram K Doraiswami later also briefed media on New Delhi’s behalf about the summit on the sidelines of which the two countries signed seven memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and frameworks of understanding (FoUs) on different issues.
Momen said Bangladesh urged India to hold the long pending ministerial level Joint River Commission (JRC) meeting to resolve the proposed Teesta treaty and reach agreements on six other major common rivers namely – Manu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gumti, Dharla and Dudhkumar.
“India agreed in principle regarding the (Teesta) agreement much ago but yet to implement it,” he said but simultaneously noted that New Delhi was consulting with domestic stakeholders to get them onboard, in an apparent reference to West Bengal state.
The joint statement issued after the talks said Sheikh Hasina stressed early signing of an interim agreement on Teesta waters, as agreed upon by both the governments in 2011 while Modi reiterated New Delhi’s sincere commitment and continued efforts towards that end.
Momen said the Indian premier assured Dhaka of providing ‘three crore’ or 30 million doses of potential COVID-19 vaccines to Bangladesh as soon as it would be available in India.
“We hope, we will get the vaccine (from India) in a friendship price,” Momen said while the joint statement supplemented him saying New Delhi also offered collaboration in therapeutics and partnership in vaccine production in Bangladesh.
Momen said the issue of border killing remained as a “stigma” despite the current “golden chapter” in bilateral relations and said Modi assured at the summit that he would ask Indian border guards not to use lethal weapon.
The Indian envoy in Dhaka later, however, in his briefing said Indian side assured that they would instruct BSF to use lethal weapons only as the last resort for individual defence.
The joint statement said both the leaders also agreed that loss of civilian lives at the border was a matter of concern and directed the border forces concerned to enhance coordinated measures to bring down such killings to zero level.
The foreign minister said both the prime minister stressed on full implementation of the ongoing Coordinated Border Management Plan to bring down tragic incident like border killing to zero.
Momen said the Bangladesh premier congratulated her counterpart on India’s election to United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and simultaneously expected New Delhi’s assistance in Rohingya repatriation to Myanmar.
“The Indian side assured us that they believe the only solution to crisis is repatriation of the displaced people to Myanmar and they will do whatever need to do in this regard,” he said.
The foreign minister said during discussions on trade issues, Sheikh Hasina sought removal of India’s non-tariff barriers against Bangladeshi goods to facilitate balanced trading.
The Bangladesh premier urged Modi to inform Dhaka beforehand if they bring any change in their export-import policy as India made essential commodities an important factor influencing Bangladesh’s domestic market.
“The Indian side assured Bangladesh of doing so in this regards, Momen said.
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