India has announced that technical-level discussions regarding the Ganges water-sharing agreement between Bangladesh and India are continuing.
Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal provided this information during the bi-weekly briefing of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday (September 29).
Recently, Bangladesh suggested not merely renewing the Ganges water-sharing agreement but reviewing it anew. When asked about India’s stance on this, Jaiswal stated that there is a Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) to discuss water-related issues concerning the common rivers of the two countries, and technical-level meetings under its purview are currently underway.
The Ganges water-sharing agreement was signed between Bangladesh and India in 1996. This 30-year agreement is set to expire in December of the current year.
During the briefing, questions were also raised about the potential Dhaka visit of India’s National Security Advisor (NSA). However, Jaiswal stated that he had no updated information on this matter.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs also spoke on various international issues. Objecting to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan raising the Kashmir issue at the UN, he stated that India views Jammu and Kashmir as an internal matter and does not accept third-party interference on this issue.
Regarding Palestine and Gaza, Jaiswal stated that India’s long-standing position on the Palestinian issue is a ‘two-state solution,’ and India remains committed to this stance.
Furthermore, the spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs also mentioned that the security situation of Indian sailors working in the Persian Gulf region and the country’s commercial vessels is being regularly monitored.