India, Bangladesh Aim to Share Resources, Development
2022-09-09
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1India and Bangladesh have signed a water-sharing agreement.
2Under the deal, the two countries agreed to cooperate in the use of the Kushiyara River.
3Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Mister Narendra Modi signed six other agreements.
4They included deals on space technology and scientific cooperation.
5Hasina signed the deal on a four-day visit to India that many consider politically important for her home country.
6A general election is planned for next year.
7The deal on the Kushiyara River is the first of its kind between the countries since 1996.
8It will help southern parts of Assam state in India and the Sylhet area in Bangladesh, Modi said.
9But the two countries could not reach an agreement on another river.
10For many years, Bangladesh has pushed for a deal on water sharing for the Teesta River, a major border river.
11It begins in India's Sikkim state and runs through the north of West Bengal state before entering Bangladesh.
12In 2011, India agreed to share water during the dry season, between December and March.
13But a deal was never reached because of opposition from West Bengal state's chief minister.
14The unresolved issue has long angered Bangladesh, where many have been critical of Modi for not making progress on the agreement.
15Hasina has kept a strong relationship with India since becoming prime minister in 2009.
16She said: "We hope that all our outstanding issues, including the Teesta water sharing treaty, would be concluded at an early date," she told reporters.
17The two leaders also spoke about nuclear energy partnerships, terrorism and preventing floods.
18They also announced the completion of the first part of the Maitree Thermal Power Plant.
19It is joint project that will improve Bangladesh's electricity production.
20The project has long faced local and worldwide opposition.
21In 2016, the United Nations agency UNESCO said it threatens the world's largest mangrove forests in the Sundarbans national park, which are less than 15 kilometers away.
22The power plant is expected to release up to 592 million tons of carbon dioxide over its lifetime, said the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, a research group.
23However, officials in both countries have backed the project, especially since energy prices have increased after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
24Last month, Bangladesh ordered schools to close an extra day each week and government offices to cut short their workdays by an hour to reduce electricity use.
25China also is involved in many major infrastructure projects in Bangladesh.
26India has aimed to get involved in more joint projects like the power plant.
27India is currently Bangladesh's largest trading partner in South Asia.
28Both leaders have directed their ministers to begin negotiations on a larger economic partnership agreement this year.
29Hasina said India is "the most important, closest neighbor for Bangladesh."
30I'm Dan Novak.
1India and Bangladesh have signed a water-sharing agreement. Under the deal, the two countries agreed to cooperate in the use of the Kushiyara River. 2Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Mister Narendra Modi signed six other agreements. They included deals on space technology and scientific cooperation. 3Hasina signed the deal on a four-day visit to India that many consider politically important for her home country. A general election is planned for next year. 4The deal on the Kushiyara River is the first of its kind between the countries since 1996. It will help southern parts of Assam state in India and the Sylhet area in Bangladesh, Modi said. 5But the two countries could not reach an agreement on another river. For many years, Bangladesh has pushed for a deal on water sharing for the Teesta River, a major border river. It begins in India's Sikkim state and runs through the north of West Bengal state before entering Bangladesh. 6In 2011, India agreed to share water during the dry season, between December and March. But a deal was never reached because of opposition from West Bengal state's chief minister. The unresolved issue has long angered Bangladesh, where many have been critical of Modi for not making progress on the agreement. 7Hasina has kept a strong relationship with India since becoming prime minister in 2009. She said: "We hope that all our outstanding issues, including the Teesta water sharing treaty, would be concluded at an early date," she told reporters. 8The two leaders also spoke about nuclear energy partnerships, terrorism and preventing floods. 9They also announced the completion of the first part of the Maitree Thermal Power Plant. It is joint project that will improve Bangladesh's electricity production. The project has long faced local and worldwide opposition. 10In 2016, the United Nations agency UNESCO said it threatens the world's largest mangrove forests in the Sundarbans national park, which are less than 15 kilometers away. 11The power plant is expected to release up to 592 million tons of carbon dioxide over its lifetime, said the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, a research group. However, officials in both countries have backed the project, especially since energy prices have increased after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 12Last month, Bangladesh ordered schools to close an extra day each week and government offices to cut short their workdays by an hour to reduce electricity use. 13China also is involved in many major infrastructure projects in Bangladesh. India has aimed to get involved in more joint projects like the power plant. India is currently Bangladesh's largest trading partner in South Asia. 14Both leaders have directed their ministers to begin negotiations on a larger economic partnership agreement this year. 15Hasina said India is "the most important, closest neighbor for Bangladesh." 16I'm Dan Novak. 17Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by The Associated Press. 18_______________________________________ 19Words in This Story 20outstanding - adj. continuing to exist 21mangrove - n. a tropical tree that grows big roots in shallow water or watery places 22infrastructure - n. structures needed for modern life like roads, bridges, ports and factories