India’s new government stands ready “to engage and partner” with Bangladesh, and the first visit of its external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to Dhaka was a “conscious” decision, the ministry’s spokesperson has said.
Briefing journalists on her visit, Syed Akbaruddin said the relations with people “transcend any forms of government” and they have “great respect” for the people of Bangladesh.
Swaraj arrived in Dhaka Wednesday night and spent a busy Thursday in a meeting with her counterpart Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali and calling on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Akbaruddin described the meetings as “constructive, productive, fruitful and successful”.
He did not make any specific mention of any issues but said they discussed all “staples of the relations”.
He, however, added the meetings focused on “connectivity”, meaning “people to people contact, energy cooperation, transport and exchange of ideas”.
Replying a question he said India “never ever tried to look at the relations in narrow party politics”.
“We are committed to working with a sovereign, stable and prosperous Bangladesh,” he said.
He said the new government was “committed to engage and partner with Bangladesh in common endeavours to improve well-being of people”.
He said in her meeting the visiting minister “specifically emphasised” that the new government “stands ready to enhance the momentum our relationship and build on the cooperative relations between India and Bangladesh”.
“In a sense her message to the leadership of Bangladesh is India stands ready to break fresh ground in our relations”.
Akbaruddin also quoted Swaraj as saying during the meeting to impress on journalists the positivism of the engagement.
Referring to the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, he quoted her as saying: “We shared blood together”.
“Our destinies are linked,” Akbaruddin said, repeating the external affairs minister’s observation about the future of the relations between the two countries.
He said both countries were “keen to engage at the high level to maintain and step up bilateral relations”.
Source: Bd news24
It is nice to see repeated reference to people of Bangladesh instead of Government of Bangladesh. I hope the message is clear to the Government.