Starting Friday and over the next five days, India will host the premiers of Bangladesh and Australia as the leaders of the two nations arrive here on back to back visits to hold bilaterals talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina’s visit from April 7 to 10 the two countries will sign Framework Agreements for Defence and Civil Nuclear Cooperation besides over 20 agreements in the sectors spanning Information Communication, Cyber Security, science and technology, trade, transport and shipping nuclear among others.
Modi is likely to announce a fresh credit line of $5 billion to Bangladesh and US$500 million soft loans for defence purchases from India.
The much-awaited agreement on Teesta Water Sharing is not happening this time. Nevertheless, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be present during the lunch hosted by Modi in the honour of Hasina.
“Teesta remains work in progress,” said Sripriya Ranganathan, joint secretary in Ministry of External Affairs said. It is learnt that the Central Government will not go ahead with the agreement without taking Banerjee on board. Sources said Banerjee has raised doubts on the implication of the Treaty on the people of West Bengal.
Hasina will also visit Ajmer Sharif dargah and attend a business conference before leaving for Dhaka on Monday.
For his part, Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull will visit India between April 9 and 12 to review the entire gamut of bilateral ties between the two countries. This will be Turnbull’s first visit after taking over as the Australian PM. Modi and Turnbull have earlier met on the sidelines of G-20 in China in September 2016. Trade and investments, security, sports and education tie-ups are on the cards.
“India is one of Australia’s most important international priorities. Our relationship has expanded dramatically since we established a Strategic Partnership in 2009, followed by two-way Prime Ministerial visits in 2014. We are taking forward an active and ambitious agenda,” Australian High Commissioner to India Harinder Sidhu said.
Coinciding with the Turnbull’s visit, Australia’s Minister for Education and Training, Senator Simon Birmingham, will also be leading a huge delegation of skills providers and higher education representatives to India.