Indian external affairs secretary Shringla describes his Dhaka tour as “very satisfactory”

CNI Desk: Indian external affairs secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla called his Dhaka tour “very satisfactory” as he wrapped up the two-day visit holding bilateral meeting with Bangladesh foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen with COVID-19 vaccine issue appeared to have largely featured the meeting.

“I have a very satisfactory visit, a very short visit,” he told newsmen emerging from the meeting with his counterpart at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.

He said New Delhi would make their potential COVID-19 vaccine available for Bangladesh on priority basis once it was produced in partnership with its developer Oxford University, who appeared to be a major forerunner in the global race for developing the inoculation.

 

“When (COVID) vaccine is developed, friends, partners and neighbors will get it without any saying . . . for us Bangladesh is always a priority,” Shringla commented.

He said India, that produces 60 percent of global vaccine, was now reached the stage of trying the vaccine with an objective to produce it in a massive scale.

Shringla said yesterday he briefed Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina about various measures India took to contain COVID-19 pandemic there.

But Shringla said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent him to Dhaka to carry forward the excellent India-Bangladesh relations even during the pandemic situation.

“Reason I came here is that our prime minister felt during COVID time there is not much contact, but the relationship (India-Bangladesh) must continue,” Shringla said.

He said “We must continue to move forward towards our strong bilateral relations and I came primarily to look at that point”.

 

The Bangladesh foreign secretary, meanwhile, said India assured that Bangladesh would be its first priority in providing the prospective vaccine it was developing and his counterpart said India was not developing the vaccine only for them, “Bangladesh will get it at the initial stage (of the production)”.

“We (Bangladesh) offered any cooperation that India may require regarding vaccine trial. . . Bangladesh is ready to cooperate,” Bin Momen said adding that Indian side took it “positively”.

Bin Momen said Bangladesh also sought Indian cooperation to involve Bangladeshi pharmaceuticals in developing COVID vaccine in collaboration with Indian pharmaceuticals.

He said they also discussed about measures and cooperation between Dhaka and New Delhi regarding economic recovery during and post pandemic period.

The two foreign secretaries discussed about a possible virtual meeting of the Joint Consultative Commission (JCC), the foreign minister level meeting between Dhaka and New Delhi.

“Maybe I will visit New Delhi before the JCC meeting (to fix the agendas),” Bin Momen said adding both sides wanted to hold the JCC meeting in shortest possible time to advance further the Bangladesh-India relations.

The Bangladesh foreign secretary said both sides agreed to introduce air travel bubble during this pandemic situation for allowing treatment aspirants and businessmen to travel between the two neighboring countries.

Under the air bubble mechanism air connectivity will be restored between only Bangladesh and India where no third country will be involved that means the airlines will not take any transit passengers.

India has already introduced such air bubble with France, Germany the UAE and Maldives, an Indian diplomats stationed in Bangladesh said.

The two foreign secretaries also discussed about latest situation of the Rohingya crisis while India reiterated its position on safe, secure and sustainable Rohingya repatriation.

“The visit showed the commitment of both sides (India-Bangladesh) to take the relationship more forward”, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Riva Das Ganguly told a select media group last night.

Shringla, who was served as Indian High commission to Bangladesh before, visited Dhaka in March last after assuming office as the Indian Foreign Secretary in January this year.

According to officials this is Shringla’s first overseas tour since the outbreak of the COVID-19 global pandemic.