Dhaka, Delhi ties growing from strength to strength: Jaishankar

Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar today (20 January) said Bangladesh-India relations are growing from strength to strength.

"Look forward to receiving him in Delhi soon," he said as he met his Bangladesh counterpart Hasan Mahmud on the sidelines of the 19th NAM Summit.

Jaishankar said he is glad to meet with his new Bangladesh counterpart, Hasan Mahmud, in Kampala, Uganda.

"Congratulated him on his appointment and wished him all success," said the Indian External Affairs Minister.

Both the ministers discussed various issues of mutual interests and ways to carry forward the existing excellent bilateral relations between the two countries, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

They also discussed the upcoming visit of Bangladesh foreign minister to New Delhi.

Hasan Mahmud led the Bangladesh delegation to the 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) held on January 19-20.

He will also lead the third South Summit of the G77 and China scheduled to be held on January 21-22.

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the UN Muhammad A Muhith and Bangladesh High Commissioner to Kenya and Uganda, among others, are accompanying the foreign minister.

Hasan Mahmud is scheduled to leave for New Delhi, India on February 7 – the first bilateral visit by the minister after his appointment – to further strengthen Bangladesh-India relations.

"It's likely to be a three-day visit," he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on January 18, noting that the agenda of the visit is yet to be finalised.

The foreign minister said he will be visiting the country at the invitation of Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.

Asked whether he will have a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the visit, Mahmud said, "It is too early to say."

Jaishankar, earlier, invited his Bangladesh counterpart Dr Hasan Mahmud to visit New Delhi at a mutually convenient time.

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma extended the invitation on behalf of the Indian External Affairs Minister on Monday.

The foreign minister accepted the invitation and told him that he would visit Delhi soon.