Dhaka, however, refrained from making any firm commitment to co-sponsor the draft resolution on the UNSC enlargement.

"We reiterated Bangladesh's support... we will not co-sponsor," Foreign Secretary Hemayetuddin told reporters after the official talks between Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

"Japan requested to vote for the draft resolution, but we said we'll look into it," he said, replying to a question about the UNSC reforms that would be mooted in the UN General Assembly sitting in September.

Brazil, Germany, India and Japan have formed a group called G4 to lobby for permanent seats on the Security Council.

He said Japan agreed in principle to provide assistance for constructing the Padma Bridge. He, however, did not mention any specific commitment, saying that it still remained at the stage of feasibility study.

Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Kamal Uddin Siddiqui explained that Japan would not alone provide the funding for the bridge.

The two countries yesterday signed three agreements on training of Bangladeshis in Japan, cultural exchange, and cooperation in disaster management.

Hemayet apprised the press briefing that the two sides signed an exchange of note to cooperate on natural disaster. Particularly, Japan would provide assistance for procuring meteorological instruments to develop Bangladesh's early warning system.

Bangladesh and Japan also signed a cultural agreement to facilitate the holding of cultural programmes once a year in either country at a mutually convenient time, he said.

"The official talks opened up a new chapter to expand bilateral relations," the foreign secretary said, as he observed that the two prime ministers were speaking very frankly and the Japanese prime minister gladly accepted Khaleda's invitation to visit Bangladesh at a convenient time.

At the talks, Hemayetuddin said Koizumi appreciated Bangladesh's effort to improve governance, particularly to improve law and order situation, as well as the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Commission. The Japanese prime minister showed interest in supporting Bangladesh's efforts in association with the other development partners.

He said the two leaders reiterated strong commitment to democracy while Bangladesh told the Japanese prime minister that the next general elections in the country would be free and fair as per the constitution.

He said the official talks also dwelt on the agreement of youth- training programme signed earlier on the day and decided that the trained youths would go back to Bangladesh on completion of their training to work for the homeland.

The foreign secretary said the Japanese prime minister appreciated Bangladesh's achievement in the protection of environment, like the introduction of gas-driven CNG vehicles and a ban on polythene.

He also lauded Bangladesh's role in the UN peacekeeping missions and its role in the Saarc initiative.

Earlier, at Bangladesh Business Seminar organised by Japan-Bangladesh Joint Committee for Commercial and Economic Cooperation, Khaleda urged the private sectors of Bangladesh and Japan to develop a strategic partnership to create an integrated supply chain for the global market.

She assured the Japanese private sector of all possible cooperation and assistance in their business endeavours in Bangladesh, saying the emergence of global production system has created new opportunities.

Terming the official talks between Bangladesh and Japan extremely fruitful, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia said the two sides reached "complete understanding" on all the issues on the agenda.

"I am, therefore, confident that existing bilateral relations between the two countries will be further strengthened and consolidated in the years ahead," she said in her speech at a dinner hosted by her Japanese counterpart Junichiro Koizumi at the latter's official residence.

Before the dinner, the two prime ministers led their delegations at the official talks at the same venue.

"Since the establishment of our diplomatic relations, the close bilateral cooperation has steadily grown and become multifaceted. We are also engaged in expanding collaboration in new areas, like law enforcement, with a view to further enhancing the human security, and apprenticeship training of Bangladesh workers in Japan aimed at utilising their skills for the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Bangladesh," Khaleda told the function.