The first Bangladesh-Bhutan-India trilateral meeting on connectivity and transit was held in Dhaka on Friday.
Foreign Ministry Director General (South Asia) Mashfee Binte Shams led the Bangladesh side at the meeting while the Bhutanese delegation was led by Dasho Bap Kesang, Ambassador of Bhutan in Bangladesh, and the Indian side by Shri Virendra Kumar, Director (Works), Ministry of Railways.
The delegations noted that the trilateral meeting on Connectivity and Transit was the first initiative of its kind and would pave the way for future comprehensive cooperation in the sub-regional context.
The meeting was considered as a significant step towards materialising the understanding reached among the highest political leadership with regard to concerted efforts towards attainment of common aspiration of economic development and prosperity of the region for mutual benefit.
It was agreed that road, rail and waterways were building blocks to an interdependent and mutually beneficial relationship.
A draft Terms of Reference (ToR) proposed by the Bangladesh side for the Working Group was discussed among the parties in the meeting.
The meeting also exchanged views on various aspects related to connectivity and transit, including potential benefits in the sub-regional context. It was agreed to continue discussions in this regard at the next meeting of the Working Group with a view to finalising the ToR and a framework for facilitating sub-regional connectivity and transit.
It was agreed that the next meeting of the Working Group would be held in India at a mutually convenient date.
