Urges swift conclusion of tripartite power agreement with India and Nepal: Bangladesh foreign Secretary

Kathmandu: Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh Masud Bin Momen on Wednesday emphasised the expeditious conclusion of a tripartite power agreement between Bangladesh-India-Nepal, which will help Dhaka to import power from the Himalayan nation.

Under the power trade deal, Nepal will supply up to 500 megawatts (MW) of hydropower to Bangladesh using India’s transmission line.

In the third round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between Nepal and Bangladesh, which concluded here on Wednesday, the whole gamut of bilateral relations was reviewed, according to a Nepalese Foreign Ministry press release.

During the meeting, the Nepali delegation was led by Foreign Secretary Sewa Lamsal, while the Bangladesh delegation was led by Momen.

“Both the foreign secretaries expressed satisfaction on the excellent bilateral relations that exist between Nepal and Bangladesh,” the release said.

They discussed all the major issues of mutual interests and agreed to promote cooperation encompassing all sectors, especially trade and commerce, transit and connectivity, power and energy sector, tourism, culture and education, it said.

Momen emphasised the expeditious conclusion of the tripartite power agreement among Bangladesh-India-Nepal soon, which will help Dhaka to import power from Kathmandu, the release said.

Lamsal underscored the exploration of the untapped potential in economic, cultural and educational areas and proposed to establish meaningful collaborative partnerships, including in the private sector. She urged the Bangladeshi side to explore investment opportunities in Nepal, including in the hydropower sector, it said.

Lamsal also requested Bangladesh to eliminate the existing Other Duties and Charges (ODCs) levied on Nepali products being exported to Bangladesh.

The two sides also discussed regional issues of mutual interest. "They also underscored the necessity of revitalising SAARC and strengthening BIMSTEC for promoting regional cooperation,” the release said.