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The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday reiterated that discussions on river-related and water-related matters between India and Bangladesh take place within the framework of the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC), amid Dhaka's push for a new or revised Ganges water-sharing treaty before the existing agreement expires in December 2026.
Responding to a question, during the weekly media briefing, on Bangladesh Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annee's remarks that an agreement would be signed before the expiry date, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "All discussions regarding river-related matters and water-related matters happen within the ambit of the Joint Rivers Commission." The remarks come a day after Annee said Bangladesh wanted a new Ganges water-sharing treaty or a revision of the existing agreement before its expiry on December 12, 2026, with an explicit guarantee of the country's share of the river's water. "Bangladesh wants the Ganges water sharing treaty to include a guarantee, similar to the 1977 agreement. The 1996 30-year treaty did not include a guarantee clause. With the treaty expiring on 12 December 2026, Bangladesh is calling for a new or revised agreement with explicit guarantees for its water share," Annee told reporters on Thursday. The existing 30-year Ganges water-sharing agreement was signed in 1996 and is set to expire in December 2026. Bangladesh has called for its renewal or replacement, with a focus on securing an explicit assurance regarding its share of the river's water. Dhaka has also indicated that it wants to address the matter through dialogue and diplomatic engagement with India. India and Bangladesh share 54 common rivers, but the Ganges is the only one covered by a 30-year water-sharing treaty between the two countries. During the same briefing, Jaiswal also confirmed that the India-Bangladesh Joint Working Group on Trade had held a meeting in New Delhi over two days, with discussions taking place on Thursday and Friday. "We had a meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint Working Group on Trade in New Delhi. This meeting happened yesterday and today," the MEA spokesperson said. He added that the discussions were being conducted at the Joint Secretary level and focused on various trade-related matters forming part of the bilateral agenda. "I understand that discussions may have just finished or are presently underway. This is led at the level of Joint Secretary, and these discussions are focused on trade matters, several trade issues that are part of our bilateral agenda," Jaiswal added. The meeting marked the resumption of the Joint Working Group on Trade after a gap of around three years. (ANI)
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