On April 28-30, 2022, the Union Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) visited Bangladesh and Bhutan. His delegation included Foreign Secretary-designate Vinay Mohan Kwatra.
Visit to Bangladesh:
On April 28, 2022, he paid a brief official visit to Dhaka, Bangladesh where he met Bangladesh Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina and also held talks with Bangladesh’s Minister Abul Kalam Abdul Momen, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).
Key Points:
i.PM Sheikh Hasina offered Bangladesh’s main seaport i.e. Chittagong Port, to India’s northeastern states like Assam and Tripura to enhance connectivity between both nations for mutual benefit.
ii.India’s MEA Minister handed over India’s PM Narendra Modi’s invitation to PM Sheikh Hasina to visit New Delhi, Delhi.
iii.Both sides commemorate 50 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties.
Visit to Bhutan:
On April 29, 2022, he paid an official visit to Thimphu, Bhutan to further strengthen bilateral ties. He was Bhutan’s first high-level visitor from abroad since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. He was invited by Bhutan’s Minister Lyonpo Tandi Dorji, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
- There S. Jaishankar called on Bhutan’s PM Lyonchhen Dr. Lotay Tshering, and met foreign minister Lyonpo Tandi Dorji, and the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
- Discussions were held on all issues of mutual interest, including the upcoming high-level exchanges, economic development and hydro-power cooperation.
India, Bhutan inaugurates India-backed 3 development Projects:
i.Union Minister S. Jaishankar and his Bhutan counterpart Lyonpo Tandi Dorji virtually inaugurated the following three India-backed projects which were completed in the past two years despite logistical challenges posed by the pandemic:
- Four-lane road from Jungshina to Chubachu
- Bajo-Khuruthang secondary national highway
- A new bus terminal in Bumthang
ii.Indian side also handed over the 12th consignment of 2,000 boxes of essential medical supplies to support Bhutan’s fight against Covid-19.
Recent Related News:
i.The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways(MoPSW) has sanctioned Rs 24.53 crore for dredging Gomati, a transboundary river between India and Bangladesh, and setting up 10 jetties for a waterway project to Boost Indo-Bangla Waterway Project.
ii.Bangladesh Railway (BR) has signed an agreement with the Hindustan Engineering and Industries Limited(HEIL), an enterprise of the Hindustan Group, to procure 420 broad gauge wagons from India, in the presence of Md. Nurul Islam Sujon Railway Minister of Bangladesh in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
About Bhutan:
Capital– Thimphu
Currency– Bhutanese ngultrum
About Bangladesh:
Capital– Dhaka
Currency– Bangladeshi Taka
