SPEECH
BY SHRI K.R.NARAYANAN, PRESIDENT OF INDIA, WHILE ACCEPTING
CREDENTIALS FROM MR. MOSTAFA FARUQUE MOHAMMED, HIGH COMMISSIONER-DESIGNATE
OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF BANGLADESH TO INDIA
NEW DELHI, AUGUST 30,
1999
Excellency,
It gives me great pleasure
to receive the Letter of Credence appointing you as the High Commissioner
of the People's Republic of Bangladesh in India. I extend to you a warm
welcome as you return to our country in your new capacity and hope that
your stay in India will be fruitful as well as enjoyable.
I greatly appreciate
Your Excellency's perception of the warm, close and multi-faceted relationship
between our two countries, rooted in shared history, geography and culture.
We in India fully share this view. Our aspirations and goals are also similar
since we share a common commitment to peace, cooperation and progress in
our respective countries, our region and in the world. India and Bangladesh
share a long boundary and have extensive people-to-people exchanges in various
fields. Our people function in a common socio-cultural matrix. Our Governments
interact closely at various levels including the highest level. We are involved
with other countries in South Asia in promoting a viable system of co-operation
in the region through SAARC.
The commencement of the bus service between
Calcutta and Dhaka has received wide, spontaneous welcome and support at
the popular level in both countries. It is a small step symbolizing the
ties between our people and their keenness to strengthen our friendship.
We are both agreed on the common objective of restoring the multi-modal
communication links that used to exist between our countries. It is our
hope that these positive developments will provide the momentum for greater
economic interaction between India and Bangladesh for the mutual benefit
of people in both countries. I am convinced that the scope for further enhancing
our economic co-operation, in trade and investment, remains vast. India
stands ready to work closely with Bangladesh in these areas through a variety
of measures including improved market access.
Excellency, we in India
admire the sustained efforts being made under the leadership of your Prime
Minister, H.E. Sheikh Hasina, to promote bilateral relations between India
and Bangladesh. The historic Treaty on the Sharing of Ganga Waters at Farakka
has been successfully implemented during the last three lean seasons. The
Treaty is an example of how differences can be settled bilaterally, given
political will on both sides. We are confident that under her courageous
and spirited leadership, Bangladesh will be a dynamic partner in our joint
efforts to move into an era of deepened and expanded mutual co-operation
for improving the lives of millions of people in our respective countries.
We would each do so as sovereign and equal nations, mutually respectful
of the other and confident of our vision and purpose. Our relations were
born of a shared struggle and are necessarily based on trust and sensitivity
to each other's concerns. As we enter the next millennium, we face new challenges
in our common endeavour to end poverty and in our efforts to counter the
scourge of terrorism. We move forward secure in the knowledge that the cultural
links that bind our people will be strengthened by the measure for bilateral
and regional cooperation that we are both committed to.
Excellency, I take this
opportunity to assure you of the fullest co-operation and support of the
Government of India for your efforts to strengthen further the ties between
India and Bangladesh. Please also convey to His Excellency, the President
of Bangladesh, Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed and to Her Excellency, the Prime
Minister, Sheikh Hasina my good wishes for their good health and personal
well-being and for the progress and prosperity of the people of Bangladesh.
Thank you
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