NEW DELHI: India and Bangladesh will start negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) as the two neighbours work to deepen relations as part of a “shared vision” for the future.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said the two countries have held initial talks to launch the process for a free trade agreement.
“Both sides have held initial technical discussions to better understand how they want to position the respective set of goods, perhaps even services, and other trade facilitation-related measures in CEPA. Once those initial lists have been analysed in great detail, the CEPA negotiations would commence at an early date,“ Kwatra said.
Ten agreements were signed on Saturday during Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s state visit to India.
They covered areas such as fisheries, digital technology, telecommunications, disaster management and healthcare.
One memorandum of understanding was signed between the Defence Services Staff College based in Wellington in south India, and the Defence Services Command and Staff College in Mirpur, Bangladesh, for cooperation in the field of military education.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Hasina held talks on a wide range of bilateral matters, including energy, transportation, river water sharing, as well as regional cooperation and global issues.
Shootings by border guards, which result in deaths and injuries on both sides, and the Rohingya problem were also discussed.
About the gruesome murder of Bangladesh ruling party lawmaker Anwarul Azim Anar during a visit to India last month, the Indian foreign secretary said law enforcement agencies from both countries are coordinating in the investigation and necessary information is being exchanged.
“The government from our side is extending all possible support to the Bangladeshi side,“ Kwatra said.
