Dhaka, Delhi to hold JCC after holding all sectoral meetings

Bangladesh and India on Thursday agreed to hold the foreign minister-level Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) meeting after both countries complete holding all sectoral meetings, reports BSS.

The agreement came during a meeting held between foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen and his Indian counterpart Harsh Vardhan Shringla in New Delhi on Thursday afternoon.

Bangladesh high commissioner to India Muhammad Imran, director general of South Asia of Bangladesh foreign ministry ATM Rokibul Haque and Smita Pant, joint secretary (BM) of Indian ministry of external affairs, among others, also joined the meeting.

Sources said the two foreign secretaries have agreed to hold secretary-level meeting of different sectors including home, water and commerce in both the countries prior to JCC meeting expected to be held in May-June.

All issues including water sharing, commerce and security would prominently be discussed in the sectoral meetings ahead of the JCC meet.

Bangladesh foreign minister and his Indian counterpart will co-chair the JCC meet. The sixth round of JCC was held in September in Dhaka on virtual format due to Covid-19.

Bangladesh foreign minister AK Abdul Momen and India’s external affairs minister S Jaishankar co-chaired the meeting.

During the Thursday’s meeting, the two foreign secretaries also discussed wide-range of issues of mutual interest and emphasized regular engagement to keep up the momentum of ever-growing relations between the two friendly neighbours.

Bangladesh foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen arrived in New Delhi from Chennai today on a three-day India visit at the invitation of his Indian counterpart Harsh Vardhan Shringla.

Shringla extended the invitation to Momen during his three-day official visit to Bangladesh in December last year.

Momen has arrived in Chennai, the southern part of India, on Wednesday from Dhaka where he has formally opened the Bangladesh’s deputy high commission.

Foreign secretary Momen will leave New Delhi for Dhaka on Friday. He last visited India from January 27-29 last year for the annual Bangladesh-India Foreign Office Consultation (FOC).

Foreign secretaries of both the countries led their respected delegation to the FOC when they reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral interest ranging from Covid-19 cooperation to security issues.