Thimphu: India and Bangladesh on Monday
decided to push the implementation of various initiatives
announced last year, including in the field of connectivity
and water sharing with an aim of concluding them ahead of the
visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to that country later
this year.
At a meeting between External Affairs Minister S M
Krishna and Bangladeshi counterpart Dipu Moni here, the two
sides took stock of the implementation of the initiatives
announced during the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to
New Delhi last year when India extended a Line of Credit worth
USD one billion.
Two sides expressed satisfaction at the progress on
"each and every" issue decided during Hasina's visit, Moni
said.
Connectivity, water sharing, enclaves, un-demarcated
border were some of the key bilateral issues on which two
sides are making tangible progress, she said, adding the two
countries would "try to conclude most of these issues" ahead
of Singh's visit.
To lay the ground work for Singh's visit, Foreign
secretary Nirupama Rao is expected to visit Bangladesh next
month and will be followed by a trip by External Affairs
Minister S M Krishna.
Both sides expressed commitment to "maintain and
sustain" the momentum of implementation of the initiatives,
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vishnu Prakash told
reporters.
Official sources said the two countries were working
for early resolution to issues like the un-demarcated boundary
of 6.1 KM, enclaves and adverse positions. A head count is
expected to be taken up in March in such enclaves.
Moni, who met Krishna on the margins of 33rd SAARC
Council of Ministers meeting here, said her country was quite
satisfied with the security cooperation between the two
countries maintaining that both sides agree that "terrorism is
not given any kind of space".
However, she raised the issue of recent killing of a
14-year-old girl by BSF in the border area and Krishna assured
her that India has taken adequate steps into the unfortunate
incident.
"We again requested the minister that utmost restraint
should be exercised in the border areas in wake of killing of
a girl," she told reporters after meeting Krishna.
On whether Bangladesh will extradite ULFA leader Anoop
Chetia, she said only convicted prisoners, who suo-motu opt,
can be extradited under the current agreements between the two
countries.
Krishna also had an audience with Bhutan King Jigmey
Singhe Khesar Wangchuk, who told him that he would do
everything possible to deepen the bilateral relationship.
During the meeting, India gave a cheque of Rs 15 crore
to the corpus of Kidu Foundation, which has been established
by the Royal Charter and aspires to effectively implement
government efforts to address critical issues in the areas of
education, rule of law, democracy and media, sustainable
economic development and preservation of the country's
environmental heritage.
PTI
First Published: Monday, February 07, 2011, 23:34