Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has paid a two-day visit to the Bangladeshi capital city of Dhaka, during which he met with the country's prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, to discuss a joint COVID-19 response, as well as cooperation in the spheres of security, energy and transportation, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Anurag Srivastava said on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th August, 2020) Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has paid a two-day visit to the Bangladeshi capital city of Dhaka, during which he met with the country's prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, to discuss a joint COVID-19 response, as well as cooperation in the spheres of security, energy and transportation, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Anurag Srivastava said on Thursday.
Shringla traveled to Dhaka on Tuesday. According to Srivastava, the meeting started by commemorating the memory of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a Bangladeshi politician, who was the architect of the India-Bangladesh relations.
"Both sides discussed the COVID-19 situation. India has provided COVID related assistance to Bangladesh and has also been organizing capacity building courses for Bangladesh medical personnel following the video conference of the leaders of [South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation] SAARC countries and the creation of the SAARC Emergency Response Fund for COVID-19," the spokesman told reporters.
He added that Bangladesh, in turn, had earmarked $1.5 million to the fund. Both sides also agreed to continue their discussions in the area of vaccines and therapeutics.
"India's developmental assistance in Bangladesh in the area of connectivity and power were discussed. Several of these projects, including the Rampal Maitree Power Plant, India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline, and rail links between Akhaura-Agartala and Chilahati-Haldibari and Khulna-Mongla rail line are expected to get completed next year," Srivastava noted.
Shringla and Hasina also discussed launching limited flights for business and medical purposes between the two countries, as well as cooperation in the area of security.
The spokesman for the Indian External Affairs Ministry added that the foreign secretary had also met with his Bangladeshi counterpart, Masud Bin Momen, to discuss issues of bilateral interests.
The two bordering nations will be celebrating a 50-year anniversary of diplomatic relations next year.
