Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Wednesday said that the Indo-Bangladesh friendship pipeline is progressing very well and that it could be inaugurated by next year.
"Indo-Bangladesh friendship pipeline is a very, very unique and significant pipeline that enables us to integrate our energy requirements. This is this project is progressing very well. And I understand that we will be in a position to be inaugurated next year," Shringla said during a special briefing on President Kovind's visit to Bangladesh.
"This aspect was discussed with the Bangladeshi side a few days ago and I think there was a lot of plans on how to use that diesel that would be coming through the pipeline into Bangladesh," the foreign secretary said.
Shringla further said that President Kovind's visit was not a bilateral visit, but one to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh's independence.
"We are here to commemorate at the invitation of Bangladesh, a very significant, unique and special event. So, this is a one-off visit in which we are looking only at commemorative activities, we are not looking at this is not a bilateral visit in which you touch base, politically, economically, culturally, socially," Shringla said.
Talking about China's role in Bangladesh, Foreign Secretary Shringla said "as far as we are concerned, India and Bangladesh are bound by ties of history, language, spirituality, culture. Our ties are unique, and we don't compare our relationships with those that are there with other countries. Our relationship is really generous, and we don't look at what relationships are there with other countries when we let's say, celebrate the uniqueness of our own special relationship with Bangladesh."
President Kovind today began his three-day visit to Bangladesh. This is the first foreign visit of President Kovind since the COVID-19 outbreak. President Kovind is scheduled to depart for Delhi on December 17.
( With inputs from ANI )
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