4 Saarc countries agree to discuss rail deal

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) have agreed to begin discussions on the possibility of having a BBIN Rail Agreement drawing on the draft Saarc Regional Rail Agreement template.

It was also agreed that land ports and land customs stations, crucial for sub-regional trade and transit, will be given a special attention by all four countries.

An expert group will be constituted for exchanging best practices in water resources management and on specifics of the identified projects, power trade, inter grid connectivity, flood forecasting and other areas of possible cooperation.

The four South Asian countries reached the consensus at the two-day third Joint Working Group (JWG) meetings on Sub-Regional Cooperation on Water Resources Management and Power/Hydropower and on Connectivity and Transit that ended in Dhaka yesterday.

The JWG on Water Resources Management and Power/Hydropower carried forward earlier discussions on scope for power trade and inter-grid connectivity cooperation in future power projects and water resources management between the four countries.

Specific hydropower projects under BBIN framework that could be concretised on equitable basis were discussed, said the foreign ministry of Bangladesh.

The JWG on Connectivity and Transit reviewed progress under the BBIN MVA and made recommendations relevant to this process.

The next meeting of the JWGs will be held in the second half of 2016 in India.