New Delhi, June 22 (IANS) Visiting Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called on President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan before wrapping up her State visit to India on Saturday evening.
“Welcoming Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the President said that she was delighted to meet her again, just a few days after the swearing-in ceremony of the new government. She said these regular interactions reflect the enduring spirit of friendship and cooperation that began with the journey of Bangladesh’s Liberation War of 1971,” President Murmu’s office said in a statement after the meeting.
During the “warm and cordial conversation”, the two leaders agreed to work together to enhance the relationship across all domains including economic ties, development partnership, defence cooperation, energy security, and connectivity.
“The President was happy to note that under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has made significant economic progress. The President noted that India and Bangladesh are moving ahead rapidly to strengthen their cooperation in various areas and are entering into new sectors also. She expressed confidence that this will chart the future course of the India-Bangladesh relationship,” the statement added.
This is the first State Visit hosted by India after the formation of the new government on June 9.
Earlier, PM Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Hasina set a futuristic vision for bilateral cooperation in new areas and concluded 10 agreements following their meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi.
“Bangladesh is India’s largest development partner and lies at the confluence of our ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, Act East policy, Vision SAGAR and Indo-Pacific vision. Together, we have completed many important public welfare projects in the last one year,” said PM Modi.
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar also highlighted that the State visit of the Bangladesh PM reflects the depth of the “Bharat-Bangladesh Maitri”.
He highlighted that PM Hasina being the first State guest in the Modi government’s third consecutive term shows the importance India attaches to its relationship with Bangladesh.
“Being truly good neighbours, our ties are consolidating traditional areas and covering new ground. The agreements signed today show the breadth of our bonds. From seas to space, digital, green and health, military, rail and disaster, our two countries are collaborating across all avenues of human endeavour,” stated EAM Jaishankar.
–IANS
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