India will work with whichever government comes to Bangladesh: Vikram Mishri –

Foreign Secretary Vikram Mishri clarified India’s position on Bangladesh elections. He said that whichever government comes to power in Dhaka through the upcoming elections, New Delhi is interested in working with that government. India aims to strengthen relations based on mutual respect, stability and people-centred development.

At a press conference on Monday (October 6), Mishri said, “I want to make it absolutely clear – if there is any doubt in anyone’s mind, India is strongly in favor of free, fair, inclusive and participatory elections in Bangladesh.” We want this election to be held as soon as possible.

He also said that the Bangladesh authorities themselves have talked about the election deadline, which is encouraging for us. We hope the election process will be completed without delay. And the government that will be formed through the election, we are interested to work with the representative government.

India’s foreign secretary said that our relationship with Bangladesh is based on pragmatic and adaptable diplomacy. We are no stranger to changes in territory. As the world is changing, Bangladesh has also undergone major changes.

He further added that our pragmatic approach has maintained engagement with the current authorities and the interim government of Bangladesh. However, to make this relationship sustainable and further developed, it is necessary for both parties to create an environment that encourages cooperation. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid any speech or action that may heat up the situation.

Referring to India’s consistent communication and high-level engagement, Mishri said, our Prime Minister was one of the first world leaders, who Dr. Muhammad Yunus was congratulated on his assumption of office as the Chief Advisor to the Interim Government of Bangladesh. He invited him to join the Voice of Global South conference and we are glad that Dr. Yunus attended that conference.

He also said, I visited Bangladesh recently, which was very fruitful. Many issues were clarified and resolved during that visit.

Highlighting the progress of bilateral cooperation, Mishri said, effective meetings between the officials of the two countries are continuing on various issues including border, rivers, trade or development. Bangladesh is probably our biggest partner when it comes to low interest loans and support for development projects.

Referring to the international interest surrounding the upcoming elections in Bangladesh, he said, the internal situation of Bangladesh and the next phase of the elections are now the center of attention not only regionally, but also globally. I understand that the February deadline has been mentioned for this election.

Mishri said, considering the geographical location and history, it can be said that the interests of India are deeply connected with the peace, progress, stability and development of Bangladesh. All this is related to regional stability, and regional stability is also India’s priority.

He further said that it is not only for our interest but also for mutual welfare. Economic and trade partnership is beneficial for both countries and we want this cooperation to expand further.

Highlighting the continuous progress in economic relations, the Foreign Secretary said, we have achieved significant progress in the last few years. It is now important that this achievement is not lost due to some temporary complications. Maybe the views of the two countries may differ on some issues, but we want to advance the relationship from a forward-looking perspective.

He said, “Our aim should be not to look at the past, but to work together to face the challenges of the future.” The world is changing rapidly, new models of cooperation are being created. India-Bangladesh relations have great potential to be mutually beneficial, have been in the past – and may be even more prosperous in the future.

Mishri emphasized that the core of our relationship should be the people. Economic, financial, technical or energy – all types of connectivity and cooperation should be increased. We are already seeing progress in these areas, now is the time to deepen this cooperation.

He further added that new sectors such as startups, technology, energy and healthcare are creating opportunities to work together. India’s low interest financing projects in Bangladesh continue, recent developments have not had any negative impact on these projects. Instead, the development cooperation is continuously moving forward.

Source: Economic Times

SAH