India and Bangladesh hold second tri-services staff talks; discuss defence cooperation

India and Bangladesh on Wednesday, August 10 held the second Tri-services Staff Talks (TSST)  in New Delhi and elevated the bilateral defence cooperation. Deputy Assistant Chief of Integrated Staff, IDC(A), HQ Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) Brigadier Vivek Narang and Director General Operation and Plan Directorate Armed Force Division from the Bangladesh side Brigadier General Husain Muhammad Rahaman co-chaired the meeting. 

In an official release, the Ministry of Defence said that the meeting was conducted in a friendly, warm and cordial atmosphere and the officials on both sides mainly exchanged views on ongoing and new initiatives taken under bilateral cooperation. It is to note that TSST is a forum established to boost the defence cooperation between both countries through regular talks at the strategic and operational levels between HQ IDS and Bangladesh Armed Forces Division.

Defence Ministry said in a statement, “The meeting was conducted in a friendly, warm and cordial atmosphere. The discussions focused on the ongoing and new initiatives taken under the ambit of existing bilateral defence cooperation mechanism of all three services and further strengthening the bilateral defence engagements.”

India and Bangladesh agree to enhance travel

New Delhi and Dhaka held the second Tri-services Staff Talks weeks after both sides agreed to implement the Revised Travel Arrangements of 2018 while liberalising visa procedures to enhance ease of travel. 

During the third India-Bangladesh consular dialogue in Dhaka, the two sides “agreed that more intensive implementation of provisions under the Revised Travel Arrangements (2018), relating to tourist, student and business visas, and further liberalisation of visa procedures and entry and exit norms would further enhance ease of travel”, according to Ministry of External Affairs. 

The dialogue mechanism between both sides was started in 2017 to improve the joint consular, visa and mutual legal assistance. The discussions were wide-ranging and they were held to elevate bilateral cooperation. At the time, India and Bangladesh reiterated their commitment to continue working towards “citizen-centric consular mechanisms”, said MEA.

Image: Ministry of Defence