India, Bangladesh sign 22 agreements

Exchange of 22 agreements between India and Bangladesh.

New Delhi: In a bid to give boost to their ties, India and Bangladesh on Saturday inked nearly two dozen pacts in strategic areas of defence and civil nuclear cooperation after "productive" talks between their prime ministers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held extensive discussions with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on ways to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries. He also announced a new line of concessional credit of USD 4.5 billion for the implementation of projects in Bangladesh. Announcing an additional line of credit of USD 500 million to Bangladesh for military supplies, Modi said it will be driven by the requirement of that country. However, much-delayed pact on the Teesta water sharing remained elusive for the two sides. Admitting that the pact was "important" for India-Bangladesh ties, Modi assured India's commitment to the issue. He said an "early solution can and will be found" to the Teesta water sharing issue. After their restricted meeting, the two leaders were joined by their respective delegations.