India, Bangladesh ink MoU on Nalanda University

Bangladesh today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on co-operation on Nalanda University with India, becoming the first country outside the East Asian Summit (EAS) group to do so.

Briefing the reporters on the outcome of the third Joint Consultative Commission meeting held today between India and Bangladesh, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said, "Following the conclusion of the joint commission meeting the External Affairs Minister and the Minister for Foreign Affairs for Bangladesh also witnessed a signing of an MoU between Bangladesh and India on the Nalanda University and co-operation on that. Bangladesh is the first country outside the East Asia Summit process which has signed the Nalanda University MoU."

"This is a good development that following that inauguration yesterday, the first non-East Asia Summit country to support this process has joined today and we are grateful to Bangladesh for that," he added.

Terming the meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali as extremely productive, the MEA spokesperson said that Bangladesh and India have extremely close and warm relations and these were reflected in the discussions.

On the issue of Land Boundary Agreement (LBA), the he said that the matter has been referred to the new members of the Parliament's Standing Committee and due process will be followed.

While on another emotive issue of sharing the water of river Teesta, the MEA spokesperson added saying that water was a "sensitive" issue that needs to be addressed in a manner which was fair, equitable, and none of the party was negatively impacted.

The MEA spokesperson also confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be meeting on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) summit to be held later this month in New York.