India and Bangladesh have agreed to work together to fight against terrors and insurgents in an effort to strengthen peace and security.
The two-day foreign secretary-level meeting that ended here on Tuesday also stressed on enhancing security cooperation. The two neighbours agreed to share information on security.
It is our common interest to deal jointly with terrorists, criminals and insurgents or any one who breaks the law and tries to find sanctuary across the border, said Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon, addressing a news conference at the end of the talks. “As a good friend, India always want to see peaceful, stable and democratic Bangladesh.”
The two foreign secretaries again expressed their commitment for disallowing their territories to be used in any manner for activities inimical to the other.
They signed an MoU to facilitate technical cooperation in the fields of standardisation, certification, testing, measurement and quality assurance system. Home Secretaries of the two countries will meet soon for follow-up action.
Both the sides expressed their commitment to facilitate the early resolution relating to completion of demarcation of 6.5 km of land boundary, exchange of enclaves and the adverse possession of lands.
On the question of whether legal or mental barriers held the two sides apart in implementing the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement. “There is not anything that holds them apart, but we are trying to find a solution that suits both sides and the ground reality,” said the Indian Foreign Secretary. “We would like to solve this problem as quickly as possible.”India agreed to provide duty free access to products of LDCs, including Bangladesh in phases by December 31 this year as announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the 14th SAARC summit in New Delhi.
On bilateral trade, the two sides discussed issues relating to tariff and non-tariff barriers, coordinated development of land customs stations, and facilitation of investment.
Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Touhid Hossain said the trade imbalance can not be removed overnight but the tariff concession would certainly help in this regard.

The meeting also underlined the need to improve rail, road, river and air connectivity between the two next door neighbours.