Dhaka - Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee
arrived in Dhaka Monday for talks on trade, investment and security
with top Bangladeshi officials.
'We will work for further improvement of bilateral relations and
find new areas of cooperation,' Pranab said on his arrival at the Zia
International Airport.
Pranab was scheduled to hold meetings with Bangladesh's Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed and Foreign Minister Dipu Moni later in
the day.
'I hope to cover in my interaction the entire gamut of our
relations including security, connectivity, trade and investment and
other important areas,' the Indian minister said.
This is the first visit by an Indian minister after Bangladesh
returned to democratic rule following December elections, ending two
years under a military backed government. In the elections, Hasina's
Awami League-led alliance won a sweeping victory.
Pranab also congratulated the Bangladeshi people for helping to
achieve a smooth transition to democracy.
'Allow me at the outset to convey warm greetings and
congratulations to the people of Bangladesh for the successful
conduct of a free, fair and peaceful election.'
During the visit the two next-door neighbours are expected to ink
two deals, a trade agreement and a bilateral investment promotion and
protection agreement.
Hasina's cabinet on Thursday cleared the way for signing the two
agreements with India.
The agreement on mutual investment promotion and protection will
give most favoured nation status to each other while the trade
agreement is a renewal of an old deal, originally signed in 1980,
that allowed the two nations to use their water, rail and road routes
for transportation of goods.
India has been enjoying limited transit facilities only on water
routes since the signing of the treaty.
But New Delhi has long been pressing Dhaka to allow transportation
of Indian goods to its isolated seven states in north-east India
through Bangladesh territory.
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