The meeting was part of Modi’s interactions with heads of state and government attending the G20 Summit that gets underway in New Delhi on Saturday. Bangladesh is among nine guest countries invited to the G20 process this year under the Indian presidency.
The meeting between Modi and Hasina at the Indian leader’s official residence lasted almost an hour and discussions focused on a range of regional issues, including the maintenance of stability in South Asia, and ways to bolster cooperation in areas such as security, trade and energy, people familiar with the matter said.
The two sides signed three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) for strengthening bilateral cooperation, including one on cooperation in digital payment mechanisms between the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Bangladesh Bank. Modi and Hasina looked forward to the beginning of negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) covering trade in goods and services and promotion of investments. The two leaders looked forward to the joint inauguration of three development projects – the Agartala-Akhaura and Khulna-Mongla rail links and the second unit of the Maitri Power Plant.
