The decision was taken during the 6th meeting of the Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) which was held on a virtual platform on Tuesday. External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen jointly chaired the meeting. A Joint Statement on JCC was released by the External Affairs Ministry to highlight the important issues discussed during the meeting and decisions taken.
India assured Bangladesh that it will expedite the investment proposal from Bangladesh in case they face delays in approval. On the proposal of Bangladesh inviting investment from top investor of India, the External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar assured that it will encourage the potential investors to invest in Bangladesh.
Expressing satisfaction over the pace of defence cooperation including in training, exchanges and capacity building measures, the statement welcomed the proposal to hold the next meeting of the Annual Defence Dialogue in November. Bangladesh also urged an early implementation of the Defence Line of Credit.
In order to facilitate travel of certain categories of travellers, both countries agreed to initiate ‘air travel bubble’ flights. Bangladesh sought resumption of regular travel through the land ports at the earliest. The Foreign Minister of Bangladesh requested India to resume granting of visas to Bangladeshi nationals including medical patients, students and business persons .
Reiterating the commitment of India to prioritize the supply of COVID-19 vaccines, the External Affairs Minister emphasized the importance of Bangladesh in India’s ‘Neighborhood First’ policy. He directed officials to expedite exchange of required information regarding Phase-III testing, vaccine distribution, co-production and delivery in Bangladesh.
On the issue of loss of civilian lives on the border, both sides agreed to further strengthen the Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP) in order to bring such incidents to zero.
India and Bangladesh reiterated the importance of safe, speedy and sustainable return to Myanmar of the forcibly displaced persons from the Rakhine state of Myanmar. Bangladesh emphasised that delay in resolving the issue of Rohingyas could lead to emergence of pockets of radicalism disrupting peace and stability in the region.
Rajesh Jha/Dhaka/30.9.2020