India shows interest in Teesta river project

New Delhi: Sending a technical team by India to Bangladesh soon for a mega project to conserve and manage Teesta river, moving ahead to start negotiations on a comprehensive trade pact and boosting defence ties were among major outcomes of talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on Saturday.

The decision to send an Indian technical team to hold talks on the conservation of the Teesta river within Bangladesh assumes significance as China was keenly eyeing the estimated $1-billion project notwithstanding reservations by New Delhi. Hasina is expected to travel to China next month.

In reflection of growing intensity in their ties, India and Bangladesh also firmed up a "futuristic vision" to further facilitate transformative cooperation in their engagement. Separately, the two sides signed 10 agreements providing for bolstering ties in a range of critical areas such as digital domain, maritime sphere, blue economy, railways, space, green technology, health and medicine.

A major focus of the talks between the two prime ministers was to explore ways to shore up India-Bangladesh cooperation in digital and energy connectivity even as both sides resolved to work towards peaceful management of borders between the two countries. Hasina arrived here on Friday, becoming the first foreign leader to make a bilateral incoming visit to India after Modi became prime minister for the third straight term.

In his remarks to the media after the talks, Modi said both sides agreed to start negotiations on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA). "To take our economic relations to new heights, both sides have agreed to start negotiations on CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement)," he said.

Modi said an Indian technical team will soon visit Dhaka for talks on the conservation and management of Teesta river. "Fifty-four shared rivers connect India and Bangladesh. We have been cooperating on flood management, early warning, drinking water projects. We have decided to start negotiations at the technical level for the renewal of the 1996 Ganga Water Treaty," he said.

"On the conservation and management of the Teesta river in Bangladesh, a technical team will soon visit Bangladesh for talks," he said.

At a media briefing, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said the management of shared water resources is a crucial and sensitive matter.

"Naturally, given our close and friendly ties with Bangladesh, cross-boundary river issues -- and Teesta is one of them -- become important," he said."It's less about water-sharing per se, it's more about the management of the water flows within Teesta river," he added.