Manmohan pledges dev of Bangladesh
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who arrives in Bangladesh today said, as a close neighbour and friend, India is committed to extend its full support to Bangladesh in its development efforts.
“Our partnership with Bangladesh is important for the stability and prosperity of our Northeast region.
“It is a partnership which can have a profound positive impact on the South Asian region as a whole,” he said in a statement in New Delhi yesterday prior to his departure for Bangladesh.
Manmohan, making his first bilateral visit to Bangladesh, said “We attach the highest importance to further developing and strengthening our relations with Bangladesh.
“Our relations with Bangladesh are rooted in history, culture and the struggle for freedom. Both our countries share common democratic values and development aspirations.”
Manmohan will be accompanied by chief ministers of all the Northeast States neighbouring Bangladesh.
“This reflects our desire to have across the border engagement with Bangladesh, so that the fruits of our cooperation are available to people on both sides of the border,” he said.
Manmohan said Bangladesh and India are today witnessing an extraordinary period of cooperation and friendship.
“My visit will provide an opportunity to review the progress achieved in the implementation of the decisions taken during the historic visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in 2010,” he said.
Manmohan said, “It is a matter of satisfaction that we have made concrete progress in several areas such as security, boundary issues, water resources, power connectivity, improvement of border infrastructure, trade facilitation and economic cooperation.
“Our endeavour will be to sustain and build upon this positive momentum.”
He expects his visit would lead to greater cooperation between India and Bangladesh in all these areas.
“We also expect to conclude concrete agreements which will help us to elevate the level of our cooperation in the traditional areas of cooperation and to develop cooperation in new areas,” he said.
Comments