Indian Foreign Minister Dr. Jaishankar engaged in comprehensive discussions with his Bangladeshi counterpart Mr. Hasan Mahmud on a wide array of bilateral relations, encompassing defense and economic collaboration, as well as fostering people-to-people exchanges. Bangladesh Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud embarked on an official visit to India spanning from February 7th to 9th. This marks his inaugural foreign visit subsequent to assuming office last month.
FM Dr. Jaishankar conducted delegation-level talks with Mr. Mahmud and hosted a dinner in his honor on Wednesday. The Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement, noting, “During their interaction, the two Ministers reviewed the progress in wide-ranging areas of bilateral relations, including cross-border connectivity, economic and development partnerships, cooperation in defence and security, power, energy, water resources, and people-to-people exchanges. They also discussed areas of future engagement in line with the national development goals of the two countries, including the visions of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ and ‘Smart Bangladesh 2041.'”
The two leaders also delved into discussions regarding regional and multilateral issues of mutual concern. They reiterated their commitment to further bolster collaboration to promote sub-regional cooperation within the frameworks of BIMSTEC, IORA, and BBIN. Taking to his social media handle, Indian FM Dr. Jaishankar expressed satisfaction in welcoming Bangladesh FM Hasan Mahmud on his inaugural official visit to India. Prior to the delegation-level talks, FM Mahmud visited Raj Ghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Indian nation. He also convened a meeting with the National Security Advisor Shri Ajit Doval.
During the course of his visit, Mahmud is scheduled to meet with President Droupadi Murmu and conduct discussions with Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. His itinerary also includes a visit to Kolkata on February 9 before concluding his tour. The Ministry of External Affairs emphasized that the Bangladesh Foreign Minister’s visit to India is emblematic of the ongoing high-level exchanges between the two nations, thereby enabling both sides to delineate the trajectory of their forward-looking engagement during the new term of the government in Bangladesh.
This visit follows the bilateral meeting between the two foreign ministers on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement Summit held in Uganda last month and has contributed to fortifying the traditional, enduring friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
