Bangladesh FM Meets Manmohan Singh

New Delhi, May 9, IRNA – Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni Tuesday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and said afterwards that she has been assured by him that India would deliver on its commitment to sign Teesta water-sharing and implementation of land boundary agreements. Referring to inter-linking of Himalayan rivers and Tipaimukh project, she told reporters here that Singh has assured her that India would not do anything that would harm the interests of Bangladesh. 'He (Singh) has given a firm reassurance that India will not do anything that will harm the interests of Bangladesh', Moni said in reply to a question about Bangladesh's concerns over interlinking of rivers and Tipaimukh multipurpose project on Barak river in Manipur, pti reported. 'On both Teesta and land boundary agreement, I have been reassured that India will deliver on its commitment', said Moni who had earlier in the day held separate bilateral meetings with Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and Home Minister P Chidambaram. 'I am hopeful. And I have been reassured from the highest political level in India that India will keep its promise, India will deliver on its commitment, so I think I am happy on this', Moni said. 'Also on other issues, I have been reassured from the Indian leadership I have met in the last two days and also from the highest political level of the Prime Minister himself', according to Moni. Bangladesh has been keen on inking the Teesta water treaty which was proposed to be signed during the Prime Minister's visit to Bangladesh in September 2011. However, key UPA ally and West Bengal Chief Minister put a spanner. Asked if Bangladesh would agree to a revised deal, Moni said 'as far as we are concerned, the (Water Resource) Secretaries of both sides have agreed on the text of the document and they have also initialled it. From our side, we are ready. But I don't want to comment on India's internal process (of consultation between the Centre and West Bengal government). So, we are hoping that accord will be signed... Pressed further about a possible revised draft, she said, 'We didn't talk about the details of the accord. We are waiting for the accord to be signed. Reassurances have been given that it will be signed'. Replying to another query if she would send her representative to talk to Banerjee, Moni said 'This is between two governments, two sovereign states. We have close relations with other states bordering our country. 'But when it comes to treaties like this, it is between two sovereign states. But obviously, we have close relationships with bordering states of India.' Asked again, she replied 'These are internal processes. I don't think we have to talk about internal workings'. On her meeting with Home Minister P Chidambaram, she said they discussed the coordinated border management and the possibility of including even the civil administration in this. She said he also talked with Chidambaram about investment from Bangladesh to India and other problems./end