Bangladesh
On March 4, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar paid an official visit to Bangladesh to meet with the country’s Foreign Minister, AK Abdul Momen, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
During the meeting with Momen, the Indian leader discussed the issues of “water sharing, trade and border issues.” Further, according to a statement by Jaishankar, he also discussed the need to enhance connectivity with Bangladesh in the next 20 years. Jaishankar further pitched the possibility of involving Japan in this endeavour, saying that, “Japan is involved in connectivity projects in the Bay of Bengal … I can tell you the who geo-economic of the region will change, the Bay of Bengal will look very different.” Moreover, he reiterated Bangladesh’s centrality in the “Neighbourhood First” policy and highlighted its growing importance in India’s “Act East” policy. In pursuance of this, he proposed increasing collaboration in issues such as people-to-people contact, education, health, and culture.
In response, Momen said, “We have committed to continue to work together to take our bilateral relations to newer heights under the leadership of two honourable Prime Ministers … We focused on possible ways to materialise our commitments and how to prioritise and accommodate each other’s priorities in a mutually beneficial manner.”
Jaishankar’s visit comes as both India and Bangladesh engage in diplomatic conversations to discuss the repatriation of the 81 Rohingya Muslims that were rescued by the Indian side earlier this week from the Andaman Sea. While India has been urging Bangladesh to take back the refugees who had escaped from its camp in Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh maintains that since they were rescued near the India shores, the responsibility to take them in should be with India. According to a senior foreign ministry official speaking to Reuters, this issue will inevitably feature in the discussions during Jaishankar’s visit.
This meeting was in pursuance of the Virtual Summit held between Indian premier Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina on December 17, 2020. It also lays the groundwork for Modi’s upcoming two-day visit to Bangladesh on March 26 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh’s independence. During the trip, the two premiers are scheduled to announce the commencement of a passenger train between Dhaka and New Jalpaiguri.
Brazil
On Monday, Indian Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who is also in charge of the Indian Department of Space, met with the Brazilian Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Marcos Pontes, to discuss enhancing the two sides’ space cooperation. This included collaboration in space weather studies and allowing Brazil to utilise the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) PS4 orbital platform.
During the virtual meeting, the Brazilian Minister also urged Singh to support Brazil’s launch vehicle programme by assisting with the procurement of material and systems. Singh celebrated the discussion, which he believed marked the beginning of a “robust bonding”.
This conversation took place just a day after Pontes attended the launch of the Brazilian Amazonia-1 satellite by ISRO in Sriharikota. Following the launch, the Brazilian Ambassador to India Andre Aranha Correa de Lago, said, “This confirms the infinite potential of the [India-Brazil] partnership to overcome our development challenges through high technology.” He added that the launch of the Amazonia-1 satellite would “open the door for multiple business and governmental opportunities”, along with “fulfil the environmental commitments of the Brazilian government” to protect the Amazon rainforest.
The two countries’ premiers also celebrated the launch, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling it a “historic moment” in the two sides’ space cooperation. Further, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said that the successful launch of a Brazil-made satellite indicated an “increasing investment” into the country’s space and technology research.
Madagascar
On the same day, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also held a telephonic conversation with his counterpart from Madagascar, Dr Tehindrazanarivelo Djacoba A.S Oliva.
During the conversation, Jaishankar communicated India’s decision to respond to the government of Madagascar’s appeal to the international community to help it mitigate the impact of the severe drought faced by it. Consequently, the India Naval Ship Jalashwa will be delivering 1000 metric tonnes of rice and 100,000 Hydroxychloroquine tablets to the country. The shipment departed on March 3 and will reach the Port of Ehoala in Madagascar between 21-24 March. Apart from medical and food supplies, the INS Jalashwa also has an Indian Naval training team on board, which will help in the capacity building and training of the Malagasy Special Forces.
Further, Jaishankar celebrated the friendly bilateral ties between the two countries and recalled that India has always been the “first responder” to help Madagascar mitigate such humanitarian crises. He added that Madagascar was a crucial partner in the Indian Ocean and “can always count on the support and solidarity of the Government and people of India.”
New Zealand
On Monday, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke with his counterpart from New Zealand, Nanaia Mahuta, on the need to expand collaboration to drive post-pandemic recovery. They specifically discussed the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out, in which India is playing a crucial role as a large-scale vaccine producer. Jaishankar and Mahuta further discussed their combined vision in the Indo-Pacific and the importance of expanding their cooperation in the region to secure peace, prosperity, and stability.
This is the first conversation between Jaishankar and Mahuta since she took to the office just last November. She was appointed following the landslide victory of the Jacinda Arden-led Labour Party.
Indian Diplomacy: Weekly Round-Up (27 February - 5 March, 2021)
This week, Indian authorities convened several meetings with officials from Bangladesh, Madagascar, and New Zealand, amongst others.
March 5, 2021
SOURCE: TWITTER