The visiting Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said that India continues to be committed to solving the Teesta issue along with 53 other common rivers.
“Water resources is an important subject and we look forward to making progress to find mutually acceptable formulas to share water from 54 shared rivers,” he said.
Asked about long-pending Teesta water-sharing matter, Jaishankar said there has been no change regarding their commitment to resolve the issue. “We have a position. You all are aware of it. We have commitment to that position,” he added.
The Indian minister said this while talking to reporters after holding a bilateral meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at the state guesthouse Jamuna in Dhaka yesterday.
Addressing the Rohingya issue, he said that his country would increase humanitarian assistance for Rohingyas in Bangladesh.
“India has been providing humanitarian assistance to Rohingyas in Bangladesh and it will do more in the future,” he said.
“We agreed that safe speedy and sustainable return of displaced persons is in the national interest of all three countries—Bangladesh, Myanmar, and India,” he added.
Dr S Jaishankar, who is on his maiden visit to Bangladesh as external affairs minister of India, termed the discussion with his counterpart as a “productive start.” He also met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence around 5pm.
“The purpose of the visit is to affirm a very strong relationship of partnership and prepare for Bangladesh’s prime minister’s visit to India,” he told the press.
When asked about the various media reports on people left out of the National Citizen Registration (NRC) list of Assam being sent to Bangladesh, the Indian foreign minister replied: "It is a matter of internal affairs of India alone."
On connectivity between the two countries Dr S Jaishankar said that India would like to step up in the partnership of connectivity in air, sea, waterways, and road transport which might generate growth and income for both sides.
“We have many energy sharing projects which we are discussing including private and public sector partnerships. We hope to take them forward too,” he said, adding that India is also interested about sharing technology as both countries have stakes in each others’ success in that filed.
The minister also said that they would share the celebration of the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Bangladesh in 2021.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said that the meeting was fruitful.
“We had a very warm meeting. I should say I am very excited. We have discussed a number of issues and we have a consensus on almost all the issues discussed,” Momen said.
The meeting touched upon the matters relating to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's forthcoming visit to India, connectivity, water issues, and the Rohingya crisis.
On Monday night after his arrival, Jaishankar told the media that Bangladesh and India have various matters to discuss in order to take the relationship between the two neighbouring countries to a higher level.
Before Tuesday’s meeting with his counterpart, the Indian minister visited the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 and paid tribute to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreaths at his portrait.
Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka Riva Ganguly Das hosted a private dinner for Jaishankar last evening. He will leave Dhaka for Kathmandu this morning, according to the schedule.
