India on Thursday appreciated Bangladesh’s consistent stand that all developments in Jammu and Kashmir are India’s internal matters. The praise for Bangladesh came in the context of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan raising the Kashmir issue during a telephonic conversation with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday. Asked about Khan taking up the issue during his call with Hasina, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, “Our relations with Bangladesh are time tested and historic. This year is the celebration of Mujib borsho (centennial birth anniversary of Sheikh Mujibur Rah man) and both the countries are taking a lot of steps to strengthen this partnership in this year.” India has also stood with Bangladesh as their ties have been forged by history and common sacrifices, Srivastava said at a Jedi briefing. “As regards to Jammu and Kashmir, we appreciate their (Bangladesh’s) consistent stand that J&K and all developments in J&K are matters internal to India. This is a stand that they have always taken,” he said. On the issue of an Indian national being injured recently in the firing by the Nepal Armed Police Force (NAPF) in the ‘no man’s land’ on the Indo-Nepal border in Bihar’s Kishanganj, Srivastava said the matter was taken up with Nepal under established mechanisms. “We have extensive and continuing cooperation on border security and related matters with Nepal. In fact there is positive coordination between relevant departments on both sides,” Srivastava said. “We have established standard operating procedures and mechanisms and under these established SOPs and mechanisms, we have taken up this issue with Nepal,” he said. Asked about US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s remarks that the US and India need to work together in the wake of the challenges posed by China, Srivastava said, “Since India and China are both prominent countries, this issue (border tensions) has attracted interest all over the world.” “What I can say is that as part of our diplomacy we are engaged with those interested, to convey our viewpoint,” he said.
