Kazi Zahidul Hasan :
Sharing of Teesta waters would be the major issue in the foreign-secretary level talks between Bangladesh and India begins today (Thursday) in New Delhi.
Issues of bilateral interest in areas of security, border management, sharing of common river waters, transit, economy and trade, exchange of enclaves and adversely possessed territories, energy cooperation and status of implementation of projects under a $1 billion Indian credit would also come up for discussion, foreign ministry sources said.
Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque will lead a six-member delegation while Indian foreign Secrataty Sujatha Singh will lead the Indian delegation in the four-day talks.
During their stay in New Delhi, the Bangladeshi delegation will also meet Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid and Security Adviser to the Indian Prime Minister Shiv Sankar Menon.
“We would highlight the Teesta waters sharing issue at the meeting and would ask the Indians if there were any specific developments on signing of an interim agreement on sharing of the Teesta water,” a senior foreign ministry official told The New Nation yesterday.
He added: It would be the core issue from Bangladesh side and we would press India for breaking the deadlock of Teesta water sharing deal.
Besides, Bangladesh and India in the foreign secretary-level consultations would also review bilateral relations between the two countries, he said.
He also said that the two secretaries will hold detailed discussions on the entire range of bilateral relations and will also review the progress made in their engagement in political, security, defence, conventional trade and investment, renewable and nuclear energy, water resources and connectivity.
The two secretaries are also expected to discuss issues of regional, sub-regional and global significance of common concern to both countries.
Sharing of Teesta waters would be the major issue in the foreign-secretary level talks between Bangladesh and India begins today (Thursday) in New Delhi.
Issues of bilateral interest in areas of security, border management, sharing of common river waters, transit, economy and trade, exchange of enclaves and adversely possessed territories, energy cooperation and status of implementation of projects under a $1 billion Indian credit would also come up for discussion, foreign ministry sources said.
Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque will lead a six-member delegation while Indian foreign Secrataty Sujatha Singh will lead the Indian delegation in the four-day talks.
During their stay in New Delhi, the Bangladeshi delegation will also meet Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid and Security Adviser to the Indian Prime Minister Shiv Sankar Menon.
“We would highlight the Teesta waters sharing issue at the meeting and would ask the Indians if there were any specific developments on signing of an interim agreement on sharing of the Teesta water,” a senior foreign ministry official told The New Nation yesterday.
He added: It would be the core issue from Bangladesh side and we would press India for breaking the deadlock of Teesta water sharing deal.
Besides, Bangladesh and India in the foreign secretary-level consultations would also review bilateral relations between the two countries, he said.
He also said that the two secretaries will hold detailed discussions on the entire range of bilateral relations and will also review the progress made in their engagement in political, security, defence, conventional trade and investment, renewable and nuclear energy, water resources and connectivity.
The two secretaries are also expected to discuss issues of regional, sub-regional and global significance of common concern to both countries.
