India keeping a 'close eye' on neighbours: Jaiswal on 'trilateral meeting'

India has said it is keeping a "close eye" on developments in the neighbourhood following reports of a trilateral meeting between the foreign ministries of Bangladesh, China, and Pakistan held in Kunming, China.

Speaking during a weekly briefing on Thursday (June 26), Indian External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India's bilateral relations with countries stand on "their own foot", but added that evolving circumstances are also taken into account.

According to multiple media outlets report, Bangladesh's Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain met counterparts from the Chinese and Pakistani foreign ministries in Kunming on June 19. The issue also came up during Touhid's briefing at the foreign ministry in Dhaka on Thursday, the same day it was raised at the Indian ministry's press event.

Referring to the meeting, Kallol Bhattacherjee, a journalist from The Hindu, asked Jaiswal: "The Bangladesh foreign ministry has held a trilateral meeting with the Chinese and the Pakistani foreign ministries. Do you have a comment on that? Because they have said they share a common approach on multiple issues.”

In response, Jaiswal said, "We maintain a constant watch on the developments in our neighbourhood that have a bearing on our interest and our security. Our relations with individual countries, while they stand on their own footing, take into account the evolving context as well."

At the same briefing, journalist Gautam Lahiri asked about Bangladesh-India bilateral trade, enquiring whether Dhaka had reached out to Delhi on trade issues.

"The trade-related amendments announced by India in respect of Bangladesh were based on Bangladesh's own quest for fairness, equal treatment, and reciprocity," Jaiswal replied.

"We await resolution of the underlying issues pending with the Bangladeshi side for a long time," he added.

The spokesperson was also asked about the 1996 Ganges water-sharing treaty, which expires in 2026. ABP journalist Agni Roy wanted to know if any progress had been made on renewing the deal.

"Both India and Bangladesh, we share 54 rivers, which also includes the Ganga," Jaiswal said.

To discuss all relevant issues that form part of this cooperation, the two countries have bilateral mechanism in place, which is the Joint Rivers Commission.

"We also have consultations of concerned state governments, representatives in our own internal consultations on such issues to frame our approach. We are prepared to engage with Bangladesh on all matters in an environment that is conducive for mutually beneficial dialogue," he said.

During the briefing, Lahiri also raised concerns over reports that a temple had been "removed" in Dhaka’s Khilkhet.

In response, Jaiswal said, "We understand that extremists were clamouring for demolishing the Durga temple. The interim government, instead of providing security to the temple, projected the episode as illegal land use and allowed the destruction of the temple. This has resulted in damage to the deity before it was shifted."

"We are dismayed that such incidents continue to recur in Bangladesh. Let me underline that it is the responsibility of the interim government of Bangladesh to protect Hindus, their properties, and religious institutions," he added.