Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held extensive discussions with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina, who is on a two-day visit to India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “We held detailed discussions on defense production and modernization of armed forces to strengthen our defense ties”.
The visit is the first bilateral state visit by a foreign leader since the formation of the new Indian government after the Lok Sabha elections.
The Prime Minister said, “We are determined to strengthen our cooperation in the fight against terrorism, fundamentalism, and peaceful border management. Our vision for the Indian Ocean region is the same.
We welcome Bangladesh’s decision to join the Indo-Pacific Initiative. We will continue to collaborate at BIMSTEC and other regional and international forums.
Begin negotiations on the 1996 Ganga Water Treaty
Prime Minister Modi said both countries have kept connectivity, trade, and cooperation as our priority. “Over the last 10 years, we have restored the ties that existed before 1965. Now we are focusing even more on digital and energy connections. This will boost the economy of both countries”.
The Prime Minister also noted: “Both sides are ready to start negotiations on CEPA to take our economic relations to new heights. 54 rivers connect both nations – we have worked together on flood control, early warning, and drinking water projects.
He added, “We have decided to initiate technical-level discussions on the renewal of the Ganga Water Treaty of 1996. A technical team will soon visit Bangladesh for the protection and management of the Teesta River in Bangladesh.
‘India’s Neighborhood First Policy’
‘Prime Minister Modi said that Bangladesh is at the confluence of the Neighborhood First Policy, Act East Policy, Vision Sagar, and Indo-Pacific Vision: “Over the past year, we have completed many important public welfare projects.
“He announced that among the countries of India Rs. “The world’s longest river cruise on the Ganges between India and Bangladesh has ended. He added that the first cross-border friendship between both nations.
Bangladesh has an important position as India’s main development partner and about a quarter of New Delhi’s credit commitments are to Bangladesh. In terms of trade, Bangladesh is India’s largest trading partner in South Asia, while India is Bangladesh’s second-largest trading partner in Asia by the value of approximately $2 billion to India in the financial year 2022-2023.
PM Modi further noted that the export of electricity from Nepal to Bangladesh through India’s grid has become the first example of sub-regional cooperation in the energy sector. “Delivering such a large initiative in so many areas in just one year reflects the speed and breadth of our relationship,” he said.
Further, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that India is our most important neighbor, reliable friend, and regional partner. Hasina added, “This is my first bilateral visit to any country after Bangladesh’s 12th general election and the formation of our new government in January 2024.
Bangladesh highly values our relations with India, established during our war of independence in 2020.
I salute the brave fallen heroes of India who gave their lives in our freedom war in 1971. she added, “I invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Bangladesh to strengthen the friendship between our two countries. “Both nations share a significant border of 4,096.7 km, the longest of any of India’s neighboring states.
The purpose of the negotiations was to strengthen cooperation in various sectors such as trade and interstate ties. There is close cooperation between the various agencies of both countries, especially in areas such as law enforcement, anti-corruption efforts, and the fight against transnational crimes such as drug trafficking, counterfeit money operations, and human trafficking.
