DHAKA, July 5, 2017 (BSS) – The 8th round of Bangladesh-India Friendship
Dialogue concluded in Assam yesterday with “Guwahati Declaration” that
emphasized on greater collaboration between North East India and Bangladesh
to enhance bilateral trade and bridge trade deficit between the two
countries.
“The eighth dialogue is now convinced that visionary progress made by the
two countries over last seven years ought to continue in stronger strides and
deserves stronger institutional attention from the relevant ministries and
agencies of the two governments,” the declaration said.
It read that the Eighth Session of the Friendship Dialogue has carefully
assessed the impact of the changing world order on peace, stability and
prosperity of South Asia, in particular, of India and Bangladesh.
It suggested to prepare a vision document and research report on “North
East India and Bangladesh: Borders as Prosperity Zones” and organize an
India-Bangladesh Business Summit, the declaration added.
“With an aim to ensure sustainable political goodwill and trust, economic
growth and shared prosperity of the peoples of India and Bangladesh, the
eighth iteration declares its conviction that ensuring greater people-to-
people and business-to-business contacts between the Northeastern Region of
India and Bangladesh is crucial,” it said.
The Eighth iteration suggested a security and economic vision of South Asia
for 2030 – which is built on a platform of innovation and entrepreneurship as
it assessed the possibilities and modalities for designing sustainable and
forward-looking mechanisms in joint finance and promotion of both innovative
and high-end value-added products and services.
It also re-assessed and measured progress in the areas discussed in the
sixth and seventh rounds, particularly in managing peaceful and prosperous
international borders and security; water and energy security, connectivity
with special emphasis on utilizing inland waterways, sub-regional and
regional development and utilization of mega-architectures.
The Eighth round of India Bangladesh Friendship Dialogue also observed that
“Bangladesh and India share a special bond, which is generic, granular and
unbroken, by sovereign boundaries of Post-Westphalian Republics”.
“The bond is civilizational and is sanctified by the blood of those martyrs
who fought together for the glorious independence of Bangladesh in 1971,” it
added.
The Ninth round of India-Bangladesh Friendship Dialogue will be held in
Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh in early next year, the declaration said.