India sent two ships to provide food, medical assistance to boat with displaced Myanmar nationals

India dispatched two coast guard ships to provide food, water and medical assistance to the occupants of a boat that sailed from Bangladesh carrying 90 people, including 47 with identity cards issued to them by the UNHCR stating that they are displaced Myanmar nationals, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.

MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the ministry is in discussions with the Bangladeshi government to ensure the safe and secure repatriation of those on the boat.

''From the information we have, on February 11, a boat sailed from Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh carrying 64 women including eight young girls and 26 men including five young boys,'' he said at an online briefing.

The engine of the boat failed on February 15 and since then, it has been drifting, he added.

''Due to the severe conditions, we understand that eight occupants have died and one has been missing since February 15.

''When we learnt of the boat in distress, we immediately dispatched two coast guard ships to provide food, water and medical assistance to its occupants. Seven of them were administered IV fluids,'' Srivastava said.

''We understand that around 47 of the occupants of the boat are in possession of ID cards issued to them by the UNHCR office in Bangladesh, stating that they are displaced Myanmar nationals and persons of concern to the UNHCR registered by the government of Bangladesh,'' he said.

To a question on Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla's visit to Russia from February 17-18, Srivastava said it was the foreign secretary's first visit abroad this year, which reaffirms the importance that India attaches to the special and privileged strategic partnership with Russia.

During his visit, Shringla called on Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and handed over a letter of invitation from External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to him to visit India on a mutually convenient date. Lavrov has accepted the invitation, Srivastava said.

Other important outcomes of the visit include a discussion on the cooperation in the fight against COVID-19, particularly in the context of vaccines, he added.

''The foreign secretary's visit helped strengthen the close, strategic, special and privileged partnership between India and Russia. It also set the tone for high-level exchanges during the year,'' Srivastava asserted.

On a question on the BRICS summit, he said India is presiding it this year and the theme is ''BRICS at 15''. The MEA official said the agenda and schedule are being discussed with the partner countries and once decided, it will be announced.

Asked about the Supreme Court of Nepal's decision to reinstate the Lower House, Srivastava said, ''We have seen the judgment of February 23 by the Supreme Court of Nepal. We have also been closely following the political developments in Nepal over the last few months. As we have stated earlier, we believe that these are internal matters for Nepal to decide in accordance with its own democratic institutions and processes.'' Nepal's Supreme Court reinstated the dissolved House of Representatives on Tuesday, in a major setback to embattled Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, who was preparing for snap polls amidst a tussle for power with his rivals in the ruling communist party.