Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar arrives in Bangladesh for talks
DHAKA: Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar today arrived here on a two-day visit during which he will meet top Bangladeshi leadership and hold discussions on bilateral issues, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's proposed India visit.
Jaishankar, who came here after wrapping up his China tour, will hold talks with his Bangladesh counterpart Shahidul Haque later this evening, a foreign ministry spokesman said.
Ahead of the talks with Haque, Jaishankar is scheduled to call on Prime Minister Hasina and Foreign Minister A H Mahmood Ali, the spokesman said.
During the talks, the Indian foreign secretary would finalise signing of a number of proposed agreements, state-run BSS news agency quoted officials as saying.
"The talks will include issues like storage of basin water for irrigation purpose and security cooperation," an official said.
The officials said the long-pending issue of the Teesta water sharing agreement and the proposed Ganges Barrage were the major concerns of Dhaka.
Another official said it might take some more time to finalise the date of Hasina's India visit but it might take place in April.
Hasina was expected to travel to India in December but her visit was postponed amid speculation that it was not a suitable time to discuss Teesta water sharing issue given the preoccupation of the Indian government post-demonetisation and the unease in relations between the Centre and West Bengal, a key stakeholder in the issue.
Jaishankar, who came here after wrapping up his China tour, will hold talks with his Bangladesh counterpart Shahidul Haque later this evening, a foreign ministry spokesman said.
Ahead of the talks with Haque, Jaishankar is scheduled to call on Prime Minister Hasina and Foreign Minister A H Mahmood Ali, the spokesman said.
During the talks, the Indian foreign secretary would finalise signing of a number of proposed agreements, state-run BSS news agency quoted officials as saying.
"The talks will include issues like storage of basin water for irrigation purpose and security cooperation," an official said.
The officials said the long-pending issue of the Teesta water sharing agreement and the proposed Ganges Barrage were the major concerns of Dhaka.
Another official said it might take some more time to finalise the date of Hasina's India visit but it might take place in April.
Hasina was expected to travel to India in December but her visit was postponed amid speculation that it was not a suitable time to discuss Teesta water sharing issue given the preoccupation of the Indian government post-demonetisation and the unease in relations between the Centre and West Bengal, a key stakeholder in the issue.
