Hasina to meet Modi on Sept 27
Hasina to meet Modi on Sept 27
In a bid to take the bilateral relations to a new height through solving pending issues, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will hold talks with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in New York on September 27.
Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque yesterday said the two prime ministers are expected to meet on September 27 on the sidelines of the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). He, however, did not elaborate on the matter.
Diplomatic sources said Sheikh Hasina will leave for New York on September 21 to attend the UNGA. The session of the assembly, however, will begin on September 16. The two prime ministers are also expected to meet again at the 18th SAARC Summit to be held on November 26-27 in Kathmandu.
Diplomatic sources said there is a strong possibility of Modi's visit to Dhaka at end of this year. He, however, will come to Dhaka only after India resolves one of the two much-awaited issues -- Teesta water-sharing deal and the ratification of Land Boundary Agreement.
India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at a press conference in New Delhi on September 8 said political consultations were underway on Indo-Bangla land boundary agreement, and that they were trying to reach a consensus on the Teesta pact.
"The land boundary agreement was already introduced in Rajya Sabha and referred to the select committee," she said.
Meanwhile, ahead of the Hasina-Modi meeting in New York, foreign ministers of Bangladesh and India will meet in New Delhi on September 20 at the 3rd Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) meeting.
Diplomatic sources said Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali will lead a highest ever 20-member delegation, including eight secretaries of different ministries, at the JCC meeting.
The JCC is expected to cover a wide range of bilateral issues this time with the active involvement of secretaries from both the countries. They will also have a chance to review the progress made so far since the 2nd meeting held on 16 February 2013 in Dhaka, added diplomatic sources.