(MENAFN- Live Mint) External Affairs Minister (EAM) Jaishankar has strongly countered Bangladesh Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus over his 'Northeast landlocked' and 'Bangladesh only guardian of the ocean' remark during his visit to China, stating that“cooperation is not about cherry-picking.”

In a statement, Jaishankar said,“We, after all, have the longest coastline in the Bay of Bengal, of almost 6,500 km. India shares borders not only with five BIMSTEC members, connects most of them, but also provides much of the interface between the Indian sub-continent and ASEAN. Our North-Eastern region in particular is emerging as a connectivity hub for the BIMSTEC, with a myriad network of roads, railways, waterways, grids and pipelines.”

The EAM said countries should work together on all important issues rather than picking only the ones that suit their interests.

“We are conscious that our cooperation and facilitation are an essential prerequisite for the smooth flow of goods, services and people in this larger geography. Keeping this geo-strategic factor in mind, we have devoted increasing energies and attention to the strengthening of BIMSTEC in the last decadem” he said.

“We also believe that cooperation is an integrated outlook, not one subject to cherry-picking.” Also Read | Bangladesh responds to Jaishankar's 'make up your mind' on ties comment: 'Our minority issue isn't India's concern'

What did Yunus say?

On his China visit, Muhammad Yunus urged Beijing to extend its economic influence to Bangladesh, controversially mentioning the Northeast states of its neighbour, India. He said,“The seven states of India, the eastern part of India, are called the seven sisters. They are a landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean.”

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