The meeting of the Joint Consultative Commission (JCC), the highest forum for Bangladesh-India foreign ministerial level discussions, will be held tomorrow (19 June). Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen has already left Dhaka for Delhi to attend the meeting. The meeting, which is being held almost two years later, will discuss a number of issues, including communication between the two countries, common river water sharing, investment, and security partnerships.
A 13-member delegation led by the Foreign Minister is participating in the meeting to be held in New Delhi on behalf of Bangladesh. The 13-member delegation representing India will be led by the country’s Foreign Minister Dr. S. Jayashankar.
At this year’s JCC meeting, Bangladesh will raise unresolved and sensitive issues, including the Teesta water-sharing agreement, on a priority basis. Discussions are underway on a new CEPA agreement. New areas of cooperation that will be discussed include high-tech, civilian nuclear power, and renewable energy. There may also be the talk of purchasing military equipment funded by Indian loans. The meeting indicated that issues of mutual interest, especially trade, connectivity, regional and global issues, as well as cooperation in a number of new areas, would come up. The progress of any of the issues discussed during the visit of the Prime Minister of India to Bangladesh in March last year will be reviewed at this year’s JCC.
Besides, the JCC meeting will discuss the proposed visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India. The Prime Minister may visit India this year. During the meeting, Dhaka will call for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in a short time to address the issue of the water level of the Kushiyara River, including raising the issue of Teesta.
