Ties with Dhaka stand truly transformed
India yesterday said its relations with Bangladesh stand “truly transformed” and made out a strong case that New Delhi should steadily build up its influence and capabilities as part of efforts to usher in a multi-polar world order.
Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar said this while delivering the theme address at the second Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi.
The Raisina Dialogue is India's flagship geo-political conference held annually.
“…In our immediate region, we have worked relentlessly to encourage and promote a stronger sense of connectivity, cooperation and contacts,” he observed, adding, “As a result, ties with neighbours like Bangladesh stand truly transformed.”
His remarks came a day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said, while opening the Dialogue, that India has reached a greater political understanding with Bangladesh through connectivity and infrastructure projects and settlement of land and maritime boundaries.
In an apparent reference to Pakistan opposing a Saarc Motor Vehicles Agreement proposed by the Indian prime minister in Saarc Summit in November 2014, Jaishankar said, “We hope to partially remedy this through the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) sub-regional grouping.”
He also expressed hope that Bangladesh and other member-countries of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) can be channeled towards more far-reaching initiatives.
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