"We maintain constant watch": MEA on China-Pakistan-Bangladesh trilateral meeting

Speaking at a press briefing, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We maintain a constant watch on the developments in our neighbourhood that have a bearing on our interests and our security, our relations with individual countries, while they stand on their own footing, take into account the evolving context as well."

The meeting held on June 19 in Yunnan, China, took place on the sidelines of the 9th China-South Asia Exposition and the 6th China-South Asia Cooperation Forum. It was attended by Bangladesh's acting foreign secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, and Pakistan's Additional Secretary (Asia Pacific) Imran Ahmed Siddiqui. Pakistan's foreign secretary to China, Amna Baloch, participated via video link, as reported by Daily Star.

As reported by The Daily Star, Bangladesh called it an "informal meeting", Pakistan termed it as "the inaugural meeting of the trilateral mechanism".

In their statements, China and Pakistan stated that the three sides agreed to explore and implement cooperation projects in areas such as trade, maritime affairs, climate change, agriculture, human resources, education, and culture.

When asked about India's recent restriction imposed on trade with Bangladesh, the MEA spokesperson said that the decisions were based on "Bangladesh's own quest for fairness, equal treatment and reciprocity."

"The trade-related amendments announced by India in respect of Bangladesh were based on Bangladesh's own quest for fairness, equal treatment and reciprocity. We await resolution of the underlying issues pending with the Bangladeshi side for a long time, these issues have been raised by India at several structured meetings earlier, including at the Commerce Secretary level talks," Jaiswal said.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry imposed restrictions on imports from Bangladesh through land ports after Bangladesh imposed import restrictions on Indian staples like yarn and rice.

According to the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), India's restrictions on imports from Bangladesh via land ports will impact goods worth USD 770 million, accounting for nearly 42 per cent of total bilateral imports.

The move limits the entry of products such as ready-made garments and processed foods to specific seaports, an official press release by the Ministry stated and is widely viewed as a response to Bangladesh's recent curbs on Indian yarn, rice, and other goods, along with its decision to impose a transit fee on Indian cargo, marking a shift from previously cooperative trade relations.

Under the new directive, all kinds of ready-made garments from Bangladesh can now only be imported through Nhava Sheva and Kolkata seaports, with entry through land ports no longer permitted. (ANI)