India Ready to Discuss All Bilateral Issues With Bangladesh

India on Tuesday reiterated its desire to take relations with Bangladesh forward in a positive, constructive and forward-looking manner, saying it is ready to discuss all bilateral issues through existing structured mechanisms.

Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made the remarks while responding to a question about bilateral ties during a media briefing in New Delhi.

“India desires a positive, constructive, and forward-looking relationship with Bangladesh,” Jaiswal said.

He said India was ready to discuss all bilateral issues with Bangladesh through the existing structured mechanisms.

“Our intent is to take this relationship forward in a positive direction, in a constructive direction, in a forward-looking manner,” he said.

The remarks came as Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam is set to move to New Delhi as the country’s next High Commissioner to India after New Delhi granted its agrément for his appointment.

A copy of the agrément, the host country’s formal approval for the appointment of a head of mission, has been handed over to Bangladesh, according to officials.

Siam is currently in New York accompanying Prime Minister Tarique Rahman as a member of the Bangladesh delegation to the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The government is scheduled to appoint Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, Bangladesh’s immediate past Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, as the next Foreign Secretary.

The latest developments come as both countries have expressed interest in moving bilateral relations forward through dialogue and established mechanisms. India has previously said that issues including water cooperation are handled through the Joint Rivers Commission and other structured bilateral mechanisms.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir recently said Bangladesh wants to “reset” its bilateral relationship with India after what he described as an uncomfortable relationship over the past 15 years.

“We want to move towards a new relationship, which should be done through bilateral discussions, not through a multilateral forum,” Kobir said at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 13.

The two countries have continued official-level engagement on a range of bilateral issues, while both sides have indicated their interest in strengthening ties through dialogue and cooperation.