PM calls up Hasina, says Dhaka ties important

Following the official announcement of his visit to Bangladesh on 6-7 September, the Prime Minister called Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to say how much he was looking forward to the visit and to renewing contacts with his old friends there.

Hasina said that she personally and the people of Bangladesh were waiting eagerly to receive him and there were high expectations from the visit, which she hoped would be a historic one.

The PM conveyed his warm personal greetings to the Bangladesh PM, and through her to the people of Bangladesh. He said that India attached the highest importance to relations with Bangladesh and a strong and productive partnership between the two countries was in the interest of the two peoples and the people of South Asia as a whole.

The visit would provide an opportunity to give added momentum and high level political direction to bilateral ties, which have been intensifying steadily in recent years.

The Prime Minister noted with satisfaction that there had been an increase in high level exchanges. Vice President Hamid Ansari had visited Bangladesh recently.

External Affairs minister Shri SM Krishna is scheduled to pay a visit on Wednesday to review bilateral ties and prepare for the prime minister's visit.

The prime minister said that goodwill existed among the political parties in both countries and encouraging people to people contacts was a priority in the relationship. Both leaders decided to instruct their respective officials to work towards making the prime minister's visit successful and substantive.