A German foundation has organised a “closed-door” dialogue on India-Bangladesh relations in Dhaka.
The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) said they brought together “a small delegation” of foreign policy experts and MPs from both sides for the Track-II level dialogue on Thursday.
Challenges and opportunities in bilateral relations have been focused in the dialogue organised against the backdrop of the new governments formed in both sides, particularly the changed regime in India.
The FES was founded in 1925 as the political legacy of Germany´s first democratically elected president, Friedrich Ebert.
It started its activities in the Asia region nearly 40 years ago, focusing on promoting democracy and strengthening the social dimension of economic development.
The ruling Awami League came to power for the second successive term after Jan 5 elections while Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) formed government in May in India after 10 years.
The foundation said the closed door dialogue allowed for “a constructive assessment” of current opportunities and challenges as well as “trust building” between stakeholders in both countries.
“Participants felt a new sense of optimism for bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India and the friendship between the people of both countries to serve as a strong foundation to strengthen ties”.
They agreed that the success of this partnership would depend on results “on the ground” and that both countries must work together to solve problems.
The foundation did not mention the names of the participants in a media release, but said participants had been chosen “based on their expertise on the subject independent of their political affiliations”.
The participants expressed their hope to explore options for a follow-up event that will include even more experts from both countries in the future, said the foundation’s media release.
Source: Bd news24