DHAKA: Nepal’s Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali has said it will take at least five years for his country to supply electricity to Bangladesh.
Gyawali, speaking to the media after a meeting with his Bangladesh counterpart AK Abdul Momen during his Dhaka visit on Tuesday, said they discussed energy cooperation.
Bangladesh had signed memorandums of understanding with Nepal and an Indian company, GMR Energy, to import 500MW power through a cross-country grid.
He said it would take five to six years for GMR to complete the hydropower project since it was relatively a big one.
The two foreign ministers said they also discussed connectivity, trade, tourism and ways to tackle the effects of climate change.
“We agreed on almost all the issues,” Momen said.
Gyawali expressed his country’s interest to use Syedpur Airport in northern Bangladesh and Mongla Port in the south, according to Momen.
At another event, State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina wholeheartedly wants to strengthen relations with Nepal.
For better connectivity with Nepal, Bangladesh discussed with India a route via Chilahati, he said.
Gyawali also spoke at the event, a discussion, organized by the Bangladesh Institute of International Strategic Studies.
(with inputs from Agencies)
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