India wants to strengthen cooperation with Bangladesh in subregional connectivity and hydropower, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar says.
After his meetings with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen in Dhaka on Thursday, the Indian Indian external affairs minister said his visit is aimed at “continuing the progress in deepening of our engagement”.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Momen at the Foreign Service Academy, Jaishankar said India looks forward to “strengthen stronger subregional cooperation in connectivity and other areas”.
“The energy sector, particularly the hydropower domain, offers opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries in the region,” he said, noting that India is a large producer and consumer of energy and “we are very glad to work with our neighbours” it this sector.
“I want to say that India will continue to take the lead to structure progressive partnerships of production, transmission and trade in our region in this area.”
Jaishankar arrived in Dhaka on Thursday afternoon to extend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s formal invitation to Hasina to visit India. He later met Momen.
“What is important is that in this period despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic we have remained regularly in touch, and we have good progress in our bilateral relations.
Last year, for the first time in our history the president and the PM of India visited Bangladesh in the same year, marking a very strong milestone in our relationship, 50 years of establishment of diplomatic ties.”
Momen said Bangladesh-India ties were in the “golden chapter”. “We have settled all big issues and are committed to settle the small ones,” he said.
Momen had earlier said the government would seek India’s help in getting the US sanctions on the Rapid Action Battalion lifted. A reporter asked Jaishankar how India would help Bangladesh on the sanctions.
“We are working on it,” Momen said, before Jaishankar could say anything on the issue.
Jaishankar then said, “I think you should ask the question to Foreign Minister Momen.”