Bangladesh
On Friday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi kickstarted his two-day visit to Bangladesh. This is the Indian premier’s first foreign trip since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, the leader will be attending the country’s National Day celebration, which is marking Bangladesh’s 50th Independence Day. He also intends to visit the Jashoreshwari Kali Temple and meet with representatives of the Matua community.
Additionally, Modi is also expected to meet with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina and the country’s president, Abdul Hamid. In his statement, Modi said that the visit would not only celebrate Hasina’s success as the country’s leader but will also reiterate India’s commitment to supporting Bangladesh’s success.
Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla echoed this sentiment on Wednesday, saying that the meeting between the two premiers would add “more depth and momentum” to the countries’ bilateral friendship. In a press briefing, he noted, “Security and defence is an important part of our cooperation with Bangladesh. We have in recent years signed an agreement on defence cooperation with Bangladesh. … We have undertaken joint military exercises on a regular basis, training and capacity building exercises. It is a regular practice for chiefs of our armed forces to visit Bangladesh.” He further highlighted the success of the two sides’ cooperation on several issues, including infrastructure connectivity, defence cooperation, and water-sharing.
Meanwhile, Hasina’s foreign affairs advisor, Gowher Rizvi, also celebrated Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Dhaka. He said, “Bangladesh has a very special relationship with India. We will be happy if India will complete the border fencing, because we believe good fences make good neighbours. It reduces cross-border, all sorts of illegal activities. But at the same time, you have to make a determined effort — one life is too many.” He also mentioned several contentious matters, including the National Register for Citizens, which he said was an “internal exercise” in India and expressed Bangladesh’s willingness to take back its citizens. Moreover, he recognised the Teesta water-sharing issue as an “enormous irritant” in the bilateral relationship, adding that both sides continue to remain hopeful of the success of the draft agreement signed between the two countries.
Canada
On Wednesday, India and Canada virtually convened for Foreign Office Consultations. The Indian delegation was led by Riva Ganguly Das, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs. Meanwhile, Marta Morgan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs at Global Affairs Canada, led the delegation from the Canadian side.
According to a statement released by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), a comprehensive review of the two sides’ bilateral cooperation under the India-Canada Strategic Partnership was successfully conducted. In this regard, they spoke of their “shared commitment to democratic values, diversity, pluralism, and rule of law.” They also expressed their support for the upcoming bilateral engagements and meetings of the Joint Working Groups. In addition, the two sides agreed to “enhance the depth and momentum of engagement” on several issues, which included “bilateral trade and investment, cooperation in energy, science, and technology, education, counter-terrorism as well as consular matters”.
Pakistan
On Tuesday, India and Pakistan took part in the annual meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) in New Delhi, in an effort to resolve several outstanding issues under the Indus Waters Treaty, including Islamabad’s objections to the designs of India’s hydropower projects on the Chenab River. The Indian delegation for the 116th summit of the PIC—which lasted two days—was led by Pradeep Kumar Saxena, Commissioner (Indus), while the seven-member Pakistani side was headed by Syed Muhammad Meher Ali Shah, the country’s Commissioner for Indus Waters.
According to provisions under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), both countries are required to meet at least once a year, alternately in India and Pakistan. However, Tuesday’s discussions were being held for the first time in two and a half years. The last meeting of the commission was held in Lahore in August 2018, and the 2020 meeting was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the meeting, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs released a statement saying that the meeting was conducted in a “cordial manner” and that both sides had reiterated their commitment to conducting bilateral discussions under the treaty to resolve any issues. It added that the delegations exchanged views on the design of two Indian projects, Pakal Dul (1000 MW) and Lower Kalnai (48 MW), and noted that India not only “held that these projects are fully compliant with the provisions of the Treaty” but also “provided technical data in support of its position”. When the Pakistani side requested India to share its designs for any future Indian hydropower projects, India assured them that the plans would be submitted according to the procedure and timeline stipulated in the treaty.
Afghanistan
On the same day, Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar concluded his two-day visit to New Delhi, wherein he met with his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar. During the discussions, they spoke of strengthening the India-Afghanistan bilateral friendship, specifically in areas of “political, security, trade, economic, capacity development, education, social and cultural relations.”
According to a press release by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), S. Jaishankar highlighted New Delhi’s commitment to “peace, security and prosperity” for Afghanistan. In this regard, he reassured Haneef Atmar of “India’s long-term commitment towards a peaceful, sovereign, stable and inclusive Afghanistan where the rights of all sections of the society are protected within a democratic constitutional framework.”
Following his meeting with Jaishankar, addressing a media briefing at the Indian Women’s Press Corps, Haneef Atmar said, “India has a legitimate interest in the peace and security of Afghanistan and we are seeking a greater role for it.” Additionally, in an interview with The Hindu, he said that excluding India from the Moscow talks on peace negotiations in Afghanistan was a mistake. Further, he noted that the Afghan government had spoken to the organisers of the discussions, and stressed that the success of the peace process was not possible without India’s support.
Indian Diplomacy: Weekly Round-Up (20 - 26 March, 2021)
This week, Indian authorities convened several meetings with officials from Bangladesh, Canada, Pakistan, amongst others.
March 26, 2021
SOURCE: PTI