Indo-Bangla Friendship Pipeline could be inaugurated next year: Shringla

The work on the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline, is progressing well and could be inaugurated next year, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said

The work on the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline, a project that will enable the two countries to integrate their energy needs, is progressing well and could be inaugurated next year, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said here on Wednesday.

The Rs 346 crore India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline Project (IBFPP) will connect Siliguri in West Bengal in India and Parbatipur in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh. The capacity of the 130-kilometre pipeline will be one million metric tonnes per annum.

Shringla said the IBFPP is a "very, very unique and significant pipeline that enables us to integrate our energy requirements".

The project is progressing very well and "we would be in a position to inaugurate it next year", he told reporters here after President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday met the top Bangladeshi leadership and assured them of all help in promoting economic cooperation between the two neighbours.

The IBFPP will export fuel from Assam-based Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) via the Siliguri Marketing Terminal to Bangladesh.

During his separate meetings with Bangladesh President Mohammad Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, President Kovind spoke about the trade and connectivity issues.

He said that connectivity forms an important pillar of India-Bangladesh relations, according to a press release issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The two countries have much to gain from their geographical proximity,

Kovind said, adding that he was happy to note that Bangladesh is one of India's largest trade partners.

Kovind said India looks forward to a more organised and seamless trade between the two countries. He noted that there is a lot of scope in partnering in areas like space, nuclear technology, defence, pharmaceuticals and other advanced science and technology fields, the release said.

He said a formal Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement' would give a significant boost to two-way trade.