Visiting Indian External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has said that India will provide all possible supports to Bangladesh for achieving its development goal. “We feel honoured to be a leading development partner of Bangladesh. We like to offer all possible supports to implement Bangladesh’s development agenda,” he said.
Jaishankar said this while briefing reporters following a bilateral meeting with his Bangladesh counterpart Dr AK Abdul Momen at the state guesthouse Jamuna in the capital, adding that, the relations between Bangladesh and India are more than strategic partnership. “Our partnership with Bangladesh remains an example what neighbours can do together. We work together as partners. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi is determined to ensure the partnership that remains as a role model in South Asia,” he added Jaishankar said the relationship between India and Bangladesh is very strong and it will strengthen further. India is also looking forward to celebrating both the centenary of Bangabandhu and the 50-year anniversary of the independence of Bangladesh, he further said.
“We believe that when it comes to security, improved partnership against crimes, terrorism and extremism will yield direct benefit for the people of both the countries,” he added. He said connectivity between the two countries has been increased on all routes adding that steps will be taken to boost the connectivity further. On people-to-people ties, he said India operates the largest consular service in Dhaka and wants to make it seamless.
Regarding the Rohingyas who were displaced from Myanmar, the Indian External Affairs Minister reiterated India’s support to Bangladesh for sustainable repatriation of Rohingyas. “We have agreed the safe, speedy and sustainable repatriation of Rohingyas to their place as it is the national interest of all the three countries - Bangladesh, India and Myanmar. We reaffirm our readiness to provide all assistances to repatriate the displaced Rohingya people from Bangladesh and to improve socio-economic condition in Rakhine state,” said Jaishankar.
About the water sharing issue, the Indian minister said water resource is an important subject for Bangladesh and they look forward to make its progress to find a mutually acceptable formula from 54 common rivers. Responding to a query regarding the long pending water sharing of the Teesta River, he said, “We have a position you are aware of that. We have a commitment on that position and that does not change.”
Earlier, the Indian External Affairs Minister visited the Bangabandhu Museum at Dhanmondi in the morning to pay respect to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. A press release of the Foreign Ministry said that in the meeting Dr Momen and Jaishankar reviewed the ongoing cooperation between the two countries including the implementation of decisions taken during the last meeting of the Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) in February 2019 in New Delhi.
They also discussed the preparatory measures regarding the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in October 2019, during which a number of MoUs are expected to be signed. Jaishankar appreciated the humanitarian gesture of Bangladesh in supporting a large number of displaced Rohingyas from the Rakhine region of Myanmar and assured India’s continued support for safe, speedy and sustainable return of the Rohingyas to Myanmar, the release further said. The External Affairs Minister of India is on a 3-day visit to Bangladesh and will leave for India on 21 August.
