External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna on Tuesday said an agreement on sharing the waters of the Teesta with Bangladesh “is round the corner.” Speaking at the conclusion of the 11th ministerial meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association of Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) here, Mr. Krishna said he discussed the issue in bilateral talks with the Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni.
Mr. Krishna, who chaired the meeting, said the government had “received communication” from Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard about her proposal to lift the ban on uranium exports to India. “The issue is to be considered by the ruling party's apparatus at its meeting next month,” he added.
India, which will chair the body for the next two years, had contributed $1 million to the organisation's Special Fund. The Bangalore Communiqué, adopted at the end of the meeting, noted that the “stabilisation of Somalia will contribute to dealing with piracy in the region.”
Seychelles rejoined the regional grouping at the meeting, taking the total membership to 19. The meeting also accepted the suggestion made by Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd to change the name of the organisation.
Mr. Krishna said the organisation had identified six priority areas – maritime security, disaster management, science and technology, fisheries, trade and investment and tourism.
