Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether Prime Minister level talks between India and Bangladesh were held in Dhaka in the recent past;

(b) if so, the details of the points raised by him with his Bangladeshi counterpart and the reaction thereto;

(c) whether the talks between the two leaders were successful; and

(d) if so, the details thereof?

ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI E. AHAMED)

(a) & (b) The Prime Minister paid a State Visit to Bangladesh on September 06 & 07, 2011. Talks between the Prime Ministers of India and Bangladesh were held during the visit in an extremely warm, cordial and friendly atmosphere reflecting the excellent bilateral relations and friendship between the two countries. During the talks, the two Prime Ministers reiterated their shared faith in and commitment to the values of secularism, democracy and social justice. They recognised that the destinies of the peoples of the two countries were interlinked in their search for peace, prosperity and stability. The two Prime Ministers noted that India and Bangladesh had entered a new phase in bilateral relations with a pragmatic and practical approach based on sovereignty, equality, friendship, trust and understanding for the mutual benefit of their peoples and collective prosperity of the region. They recalled the landmark visit of H.E. Sheikh Hasina to India in January 2010, which had elevated the bilateral relations to new heights. The two Prime Ministers also noted with satisfaction the recent exchange of high level visits and agreed that these exchanges had helped reach understanding on many of the issues under discussion. They agreed to encourage more such high level interactions between the two sides.

They recognized the need to exploit the synergies between the two countries to further deepen cooperation into newer areas and, towards that end, agreed on a number of measures, including the enhancement of economic and transport linkages between India and Bangladesh which are important for the development of our North-Eastern region. During the visit, India and Bangladesh signed ten Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding on a wide range of areas, including a ‘Protocol to the Agreement Concerning the Demarcation of the Land Boundary between India and Bangladesh and Related Matters’ and a comprehensive ‘Framework Agreement on Cooperation for Development’ that outlined the shared vision for durable and long-term cooperation to achieve mutual peace, prosperity and stability. Both sides decided to establish a Joint Commission led by the Ministers of Foreign/External Affairs to jointly coordinate and oversee implementation of initiatives as well as to explore newer avenues for cooperation, including progress of activities under the Framework Agreement.

(c) & (d) The Prime Minister’s visit to Bangladesh has achieved concrete progress in our efforts to develop and strengthen our close and friendly relations with Bangladesh. The talks with Bangladesh have enabled us to put across our vision of an equal and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh to the widest cross-section of its people and to convey our commitment to building a strong India-Bangladesh partnership, including assistance in developmental efforts and enhanced bilateral cooperation. Both sides expressed the conviction that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s visit to Bangladesh and the signing of historic documents between the two countries marked a watershed in the bilateral relationship between two close and friendly neighbours.

http://www.mea.gov.in/mystart.php?id=220118703.

Bangladesh

South Asia