Teesta treaty 'difficult' issue: PM tells Bangladesh's Hasina

, Mar 4:

Prime Minister

today raised the issue of delay in the signing of the long-pending agreement on Teesta river water sharing treaty during her meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who conceded that it is a "difficult" issue and said efforts to forge consensus on it in India are underway.

The issue figured during the 20-minute talks Singh had with Hasina, who he was meeting for the first time after her party Awami League coasted to a landslide victory in the January five parliamentary elections, bagging 231 seats in the face of a boycott by the BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance.

Efforts to forge consensus on it in India are underway: PM

The agreement on Teesta river treaty was put on hold after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed reservations over the quantum of water to be given to Bangladesh and she had opted out of Singh's entourage to Dhaka in September, 2011.

Against this backdrop, Singh told Hasina that it is a "difficult" issue and efforts were on to reach a consensus. Singh congratulated Hasina on her electoral victory and the Bangladesh leader thanked him, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akabaruddin told reporters after the meeting.

The two leaders also discussed the Land Boundary Agreement on demarcation of the border and exchange of 161 adversely- held enclaves with a population of an estimated 50,000, seen as an important confidence building measure between the two neighbours. They also the importance of connectivity and enhancing cooperation in trade and other areas.

PTI