A joint statement issued after the first meeting of the joint consultative commission co-chaired by External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and his Bangladeshi counterpart Dipu Moni in New Delhi said the two ministers noted that "the legal framework for bilateral security cooperation would be completed with the signing of the extradition treaty."
It said both sides agreed to expedite efforts to conclude the treaty at the earliest. "They also reiterated their commitment that the territory of either side would not be allowed for activities inimical to the other and resolved not to allow their respective territory to be used for training, sanctuary and other operations by domestic or foreign terrorist/militant and insurgent organisations and their operatives", the statement said.
The two countries also rejected extremism, violence and terrorism and agreed to cooperate proactively in combating the evils, according to the statement.
The two sides affirmed their commitment to an early finalisation of agreements for water-sharing of Teesta flowing through West Bengal into Bangladesh and Feni rivers criss-crossing Tripur and Bangladesh. They welcomed the recent exchange of data on the flow of the Teesta river at the technical level.
The Indian side reiterated its commitment that it would not take any unilateral decision on the Himalayan component of the proposed river interlinking project which may affect Bangladesh.
On Tipaimukh hydroelectric project in Manipur, both sides agreed to constitute a sub-group under the Joint River Commission that would go into all its aspects. The two countries agreed to step up efforts for connectivity with early finalisation of the MoU for the construction of Akhaura-Agartala railway link, to be built with grant-in-aid assistance from India and directed that infrastructure development works and land acquisition activities be taken up urgently.
They also agreed that necessary formalities for use of Chittagong and Mongla seaports in Bangladesh for movement of goods to and from India through water, rail and road would be completed urgently, said the joint statement.
Both sides called for more vigorous efforts to upgrade border infrastructure, including Land Customs Stations and Integrated Check Posts, and removal of non-tariff barriers on both sides.
The two foreign ministers welcomed the inauguration of a second border haat on Bangladesh-Meghalaya border and the establishment of four border haats on the Bangladesh-Tripura border.
They welcomed the agreement to commence a bus service on the Dhaka-Shillong-Guwahati sector and it was agreed to expeditiously conclude the Motor Vehicles Agreement for regulation of passenger and cargo traffic.
