Moni visit next month,Teesta,extradition pacts on table

While the dates are still being finalised,sources said she will also participate in the closing ceremony of the year-long celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

Around the same time,New Delhi is planning to send Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Dhaka for the closing ceremony celebrations in Bangladesh. The two Prime Ministers had agreed to organise joint celebrations to commemorate Tagore’s 150th birth anniversary. This was in line with the thinking on both sides that the joint celebrations had enthused the people from both countries to explore the common cultural heritage.

On the substantive bit,Krishna will review the implementation of the new initiatives with the visiting Bangladesh Foreign Minister.

Sources said the joint statement agreed between the two Prime Ministers in September last year had underlined the need of the “Joint Commission led by the Ministers of Foreign/External Affairs to jointly coordinate and oversee implementation of initiatives as well as to explore newer avenues for cooperation,including progress of activities under the Framework Agreement”.

During the discussions,the sources said they will have a wide range of agenda. From the Indian side,the government will push for the extradition agreement between the two sides,that has been long-pending. Acknowledging Bangladesh’s contribution to put a check on insurgents and terror elements in the north-eastern India in the last four years,especially against the ULFA insurgents,sources said an extradition treaty is the next logical step.

From New Delhi’s point of view,combating insurgents and countering terrorism emanating from Bangladesh soil is top priority and both sides will talk about strengthening cooperation on that front during the Joint Commission meeting.

From Bangladesh side,the issues of river-water sharing,especially the agreement on Teesta river,is one of the most important themes for discussion. This,Dhaka has repeatedly told New Delhi,is crucial for the Sheikh Hasina government to showcase to the people of Bangladesh and counter the anti-India sentiments.

It may be recalled that the Teesta agreement was shelved during Prime Minister’s Dhaka visit,as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had raised objections and had refused to travel to Bangladesh along with the PM.

The two sides will also talk about the early ratification of the Protocol to the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement which paves the way for settlement of the long pending land boundary issues including the undemarcated areas,territories under adverse possession and exchange of enclaves.