Bangladesh
Bangladesh-India Meeting India-Bangladesh to hold Home, Commerce and JRC meetings before Modi visit
Dhaka, January 30: Ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Dhaka in March, Bangladesh and India will hold a meeting at the level of Home Secretary and Commerce Secretary and the much-anticipated Joint River Commission (JRC).
The decision was taken at the Bangladesh-India Foreign Office Consultative Meeting (FOC) in New Delhi on Friday. This was stated in a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India after the meeting.
At the FOC, the Foreign Secretaries of both countries lead their respective representatives. The review meeting discussed issues ranging from Covid-19 cooperation to issues of mutual interest, including security issues.
Prime Minister Modi is expected to visit Dhaka on March 26 at the invitation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to mark the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh's independence, the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations.
"Both sides have agreed to hold the next Home Secretary level discussions, Commerce Secretary level discussions and the Joint River Commission meeting at the secretary level before the summit in March 2021," the statement said.
They also discussed preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Dhaka in March 2021 and the celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The talks focused on Covid-19 cooperation, trade and investment, communications, border management, water sharing, security and defense cooperation. The two countries also reviewed the progress made in bilateral relations.
The statement added that the meeting was co-chaired by Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Sringla and Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Ambassador Masood bin Momen.
The meeting decided to further strengthen the ongoing coordination to jointly celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh's independence, the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations and the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Both sides appreciated the participation of contingents of the three forces of Bangladesh in the Republic Day parade of India this year. They noted with satisfaction the renewal of the air travel bubble system and the speedy implementation of the Line of Credit in bilateral development partnerships.
While in New Delhi, Ambassador Masood bin Momen will visit the ongoing Bangabandhu-Bapu Digital Exhibition at Vigyan Bhawan and exchange views with trainees at the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Services.
