‘Have A Historical Rock-Solid Relationship With India, China Is A Development Partner’: Bangladesh FM In Assam

The Bangladesh Foreign Minister said the radical elements have reduced and subdued dramatically.

New Delhi: Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, who is presently in Assam’s Guwahati city on an official visit, on Saturday said Dhaka has a historical rock-solid relationship with New Delhi while China is a development partner. Momen said Bangladesh wants to develop a solid relationship with all the states of India, ANI reported.

“We have a historical rock-solid relationship with India while China is a development partner. Further, we want to develop a solid relationship with all the states of India,” the news agency quoted Momen as saying.

The Bangladesh Foreign Minister said the radical elements have reduced and subdued dramatically.

“That’s why we have economic prosperity and development. Yet some pockets are left and we are controlling them,” he added while commenting on radicalism.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had earlier last month visited Dhaka to hold talks with his Bangladesh counterpart.

“For me, this is a visit after a little more than a year. But what is important is that in this period, despite the challenges of the Covid pandemic, we have remained regularly in touch. And we have made good progress in our bilateral relations,” Jaishankar said at the joint press interaction in Dhaka on April 28.

“Last year, for the first time in our history, the President and the Prime Minister of India visited Bangladesh in the same year marking a very special milestone in our relationship – 50 years of establishment of diplomatic ties, the Golden Jubilee of independence of Bangladesh which coincided with the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” he added.

Asserting his visit is “aimed at continuing the progress in deepening our engagement”, Jaishankar said: “It is in keeping with the strength and spirit of our bilateral ties. As neighbours, the regularity and the informality and the cordiality of our interaction is a very good reflection of trust and confidence.”

“Our leaders have remained in touch and this afternoon, I had the privilege to call on the Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina. I have conveyed to her the personal greetings and good wishes of Prime Minister Modi and also conveyed that we look forward to her visit to India at a time of her convenience. We discussed a number of issues. We reviewed bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues. So, I am really very privileged to have met her and spent time with her,” he added.