Momen to attend JCC meeting in New Delhi on May 30

The seventh foreign ministerial level Bangladesh-India Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) meeting will be held in New Delhi on May 30, reports BSS. 

"So far it is set that I am going to New Delhi to attend the next JCC meeting on May 30 ... the agendas are yet to finalize ... but we are working on it," foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said on Tuesday at foreign ministry. 

He said all bilateral issues including water sharing would be discussed with his Indian counterpart Dr Jaishankar during the JCC in Delhi. 

"They (India) become very good friend of us ... we can raise all issue," Dr Momen added.

However, the foreign minister said Dhaka would have tried to hold the Joint River Commission (JRC) meeting before the JCC.

The foreign minister will go to Delhi via Assam to attend a river conclave there organized by Bangladesh-India friendship groups and some non-government organizations from May 28-29. 

"We decided to attend that (river conclave) as four Indian central government ministers (including Jaishankar) along with renowned experts will join there (to discuss over trans boundary rivers)," he said. 

Earlier, the Indian high commissioner here Vikram Doraiswami held a meeting with foreign secretary and discussed regarding issues expected to be discussed during the JCC meeting. 

"I came here to discuss with foreign secretary, (over) cooperation in the bilateral domain, multilateral domain and to identify what plans and outcomes we could look at from the JCC," Doraiswami told media after emerging from the meeting. 

He said the JCC has many standard agenda that covers trade and connectivity, political, consular and cultural, security development cooperation. 

"So, (preparatory) work is in progress, obviously we hope that we could announce good outcomes out of the JCC later this month," Doraiswami said. 

About the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's upcoming visit to New Delhi at the invitation of Indian premier Narendra Modi, the envoy said, they are now working on the dates of convenience for both the leaders. 

"Hopefully we will be able to settle on dates quickly," he added. 

Later, foreign secretary told media that during the meeting with Indian envoy he talked about the probable agendas of the JCC and the tentative visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India.

During the JCC meeting, the secretary said that Dhaka would raise the issues of water sharing of Trans boundary Rivers, border killings and connectivity. 

"As the COVID situation is now became much better, we would like to resume all the rail links and increasing flight frequencies between Bangladesh and India," he said.

The sixth JCC meeting was hosted by Dhaka virtually on September 29 in 2020.