Modi hints early Teesta solution

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday acknowledged the Teesta issue to have drawn “greatest attention” in regard to bilateral relations and expressed his “firm belief” that it would find an early solution.

“I firmly believe that it is only my government and Excellency Sheikh Hasina, your government, that can and will find an early solution to Teesta water sharing,” Modi said in a statement after talks her visiting Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina here.

He added: “Along with our shared land boundaries are our shared rivers. They sustain our peoples and their livelihoods. And, the one that has attracted the greatest attention is the Teesta.”

The Indian premier described Teesta to be an important factor for India, for Bangladesh and for India-Bangladesh relationship” while referring to the stake of India’s West Bengal state in the matter.

“I know that her (Banerjee’s) feelings for Bangladesh are as warm as my own . . . I assure you and the people of Bangladesh of our commitment and continuing efforts,” he said.

Modi said the two countries share one of the longest land boundaries and recalled his June 2015 Dhaka visit when “we had concluded the Land Boundary Agreement and its implementation is now underway”.

The Indian premier said the spread of radicaliztion and extremism posed a grave threat to the entire region and noted with high appreciated Dhaka’s stance in this regard saying “India has greatest admiration for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s firm resolve in dealing with terrorism”.

“Her (Sheikh Hasina) government’s ‘zero-tolerance’ policy towards terrorism is an inspiration for all of us,” he said.

Modi said during the talks both the premiers agreed that peace, security and development for the two peoples and for the region would remain central to their engagement.

“While our partnership brings prosperity to our people, it also works to protect them from forces of radicaliztion and extremism. Their spread poses a grave threat, not just to India and Bangladesh but to the entire region,” the Indian premier said.

Modi said India has always stood for the prosperity of Bangladesh and its people as “we are a long-standing and trusted development partner of Bangladesh”.

“We are determined that the fruits of our cooperation must benefit our people,” he said.

Modi said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and he held productive and comprehensive discussions on the full range of our partnership.

“We agreed that the agenda of our cooperation has to remain focused on purposeful action . . . we specifically looked at charting new avenues and tapping fresh opportunities in advancing our relationship,” he said.

Modi said India wants to build cooperation in new areas, especially some high-technology areas that have a deeper connect with the youth in both the societies while identified the areas to be electronics, information technology, cyber security, space exploration, civil nuclear energy.

“Today, he said, India has taken a long overdue step by signing an agreement on close cooperation between armed forces of the two countries,” he said.

The Indian premier added: “I am also happy to announce a Line of Credit of US dollars 500 million to support Bangladesh’s defence-related procurement.”

He said in implementing this line of credit, “we will be guided by Bangladesh’s needs and priorities”.

Source: BSS