Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka Dinesh Trivedi has expressed optimism about Prime Minister Tareque Rahman’s upcoming visit to India. “We are very confident. Everything will be arranged at the right time,” he said.
Dinesh Trivedi made the remarks Monday (Sept. 7) responding to reporters’ questions after a meeting with Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo at the Secretariat.
The Indian high commissioner said the Indian government’s invitation for Bangladesh’s prime minister to visit India stands open at all times, and that Prime Minister Tareque Rahman is aware of it. He also expressed hope that the continuity and good relations between the two countries would be maintained.
Asked about a meeting between the two countries’ top leadership, Dinesh Trivedi said, “There is no reason for the work of mutual trust and cooperation to stop. A top-level meeting may not happen today, but it could happen tomorrow or the day after. Since both countries share the same goals and areas of work, it’s important not to simply wait for a meeting, but to move real work forward and further strengthen people-to-people ties.”
On environmental and climate cooperation between the two countries, he said, “Air, rivers, climate and wildlife know no borders. These borderless crises must be tackled through joint initiatives.”
Dinesh Trivedi said, “Ensuring benefits like clean air and blue skies doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a long-term process. Alongside formal bilateral talks, there needs to be concrete progress at the official level between the two countries on issues like carbon credits, Sundarbans conservation and managing elephant migration corridors.”
Earlier, the Indian high commissioner discussed the environment, climate and wildlife, among other topics, in his meeting with Environment Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo.
Responding to reporters’ questions, the environment minister said the interests of the two countries’ people, and their trade and environmental interdependence, matter more than political or administrative calculations. As a result, he said, cooperation will not stall from either side, and dialogue and joint initiatives at the official level will continue.