New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has said India would take the lead in structuring partnerships for production, transmission and trade of energy, especially hydropower, between India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal.
“India looks forward to a stronger sub-regional cooperation on connectivity and energy sector and other areas. Particularly, the hydropower domain offers an opportunity for mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries in the region,” Dr Jaishankar said in Dhaka.
Bangladesh, according to reports, has been pushing for a regional hydropower initiative as it aims to get more renewable energy to achieve climate mitigation targets.
“India is a large producer and consumer of energy and we are very glad to work with our neighbours in that regard, including in the BBIN [a sub-regional grouping among Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal] framework,” the reports added.
Dr Jaishankar was talking to reporters after a meeting with his Bangladesh counterpart A K Abdul Momen before attending an Iftar at the Foreign Service Academy.
Dr Jaishankar also called on Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message and an invitation to her to visit India.
“We discussed a number of issues. We reviewed bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues,” said External Affairs Minister.
At the meeting, Hasina said India’s northeastern states, like Assam and Tripura, could use the Chittagong seaport to strengthen the connectivity between the two neighbouring countries.
