The Hindu : India-Bangladesh JEC meet tomorrow

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 14, 2003

International

International - India & World

India-Bangladesh JEC meet tomorrow

By Haroon Habib

DHAKA JULY 13. The External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, will lead the Indian delegation to the India-Bangladesh Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting scheduled here on July 15. The last JEC meeting was held in New Delhi in 1997. During his visit to Dhaka, Mr. Sinha will also call on the Bangladesh Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia.

The Bangladesh side will be represented by its Foreign Minister, Morshed Khan, at the meeting, which will be preceded by the secretary-level standing committee meeting tomorrow. The Foreign Secretary, Kanwal Sibal, and the Bangladesh External Resources Division Secretary, Mirza Tasadduq Hossain Beg, will lead the respective sides in the secretary-level talks.

"This is going to be an important meeting and a milestone in bilateral relations between the two countries,'' the Indian Deputy High Commissioner, Dilip Sinha, told a press briefing on Saturday. New Delhi wanted to open talks with Dhaka on a proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in September-October this year. "Dhaka's response (to FTA) is favourable and so far good,'' Mr. Sinha told reporters at the High Commission office. About anti-dumping measures imposed by India on Bangladeshi lead acid battery, he said this measure not only affected Bangladesh, but also China, Japan and Korea.

On the huge trade surplus in favour of India and Bangladesh's plea for duty-free access to the Indian market, Mr. Sinha said that the proposed FTA would address the issue.

Mr. Sinha said India is eager to get transit facilities as envisaged in the Indo-Bangladesh Trade Agreement of 1980.

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