Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar on Saturday said India's relationship with Bangladesh has enormous possibilities for growth ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's expected visit to the neighbouring nation next month.
"It is a relationship with enormous possibilities. Hopefully, we will see that grow. Teesta is an issue under discussion. In such cases, it's prudent to wait for the results," Jaishankar told ANI.
On Friday, Bangladesh Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mohammad Shahriar Alam had said his government was looking forward to Prime Minister Modi's visit .
"We are looking forward to the big visit by Prime Minister Modi, and obviously, things will be discussed, and both countries have agreed in the past, and also, we have reiterated that we will do things on a win-win basis. So, we will wait," he said at the India Bangladesh Friendship Dialogue conference in New Delhi on Friday.
New Delhi and Dhaka are likely to discuss the disputed Teesta River issue on Prime Minister Modi's visit.
The Teesta River, which has its origin in Sikkim, flows through the northern part of West Bengal state in India before entering Bangladesh and joining the Brahmaputra River.
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Bangladeshi experts claim that India is taking too great a share of Teesta's flow in an effort to shore up its own water security. The river flows for 315 kilometres, 130 kilometres of which is through
Bangladesh.
Agreeing on a deal for equitable sharing of Teesta water is one of Bangladesh's highest priorities in its relations with India. Bangladesh wants more access to the Teesta River, citing a fair-use policy that may require India to use less.
A treaty was on the verge of being signed in 2012, but was postponed at the last minute when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee pulled out of the delegation that was accompanying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
As the Teesta flows through West Bengal, the government of that state must give its assent to the treaty before the central government can present it for formal signing.