ID :
12899
Fri, 07/18/2008 - 15:44
Auther :

Dhaka asks Delhi to minimise trade gap: statement


DHAKA, Bangladesh, July 18 (BSS) - Bangladesh today emphasised the need for creating conditions for increasing two-way trade to minimise the huge trade gap as the foreign secretary level talks kicked off in New Delhi, an official statement said here.

"The Bangladesh Foreign Secretary emphasised the need for
creating conditions for increasing two-way trade between
Bangladesh and India with particular emphasis on bridging the
existing trade gap between the two countries," it said.

The first-day talks also focused on greater connectivity
when Foreign Secretary Md Touhid Hossain and his Indian
counterpart Shivshankar Menon welcomed the commencement of the
Dhaka-Kolkata Maitree Express, said the statement.

They also noted the need for reducing the waiting time of
the passengers travelling by the Maitree Express at the borders.

"The discussions on connectivity also focused on better
utilisation of the Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade,
improvement of border infrastructure to facilitate trade, and the
need for approaching specific issues through relevant forums,"
the statement read.

Hossain also requested for greater access of Bangladeshi
exports to India and urged the Indian Foreign Secretary to
expedite the completion of export of the remaining of the five-
lakh tonnes of rice to Bangladesh in line with an earlier
agreement.

He also urged the Indian authorities to consider complete
withdrawal of restrictions on export of rice from India.

The statement signed by Bangladesh's deputy high
commissioner to India M Zulfiqur Rahman said the first day talks
also "extensively" reviewed other issues of bilateral relations
as the routine two-day annual consultation began in the Indian
capital.

It said the Bangladesh Foreign Secretary also had wide-
ranging discussions with his Indian counterpart on ways to make
tangible progress on water-related issues.

He in particular urged India to expedite work on reaching
agreement on sharing of waters of the common rivers, especially
of the Teesta.

The two Foreign Secretaries also agreed on the need for the
convening of the relevant technical committees to carry on the
work in this regard.

They reached a decision to work closely to counter the
threats posed by terrorism and other illegal cross-border
activities like smuggling of fake currencies, narcotics and
drugs, and arms.

Both the delegations expressed satisfaction about the
working of the existing functional mechanisms while expressing
the hope that they would remain engaged and continue to have
dialogue and discussions on various issues to address specific
concerns.

The Bangladesh Foreign Secretary invited his Indian
counterpart to visit Bangladesh for the next Foreign Office
Consultations (FOC) at a convenient time.

He also paid courtesy calls on Indian External Affairs
Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Indian State Minister for Commerce
and Power Jairam Ramesh.






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