Delhi wants Dhaka ties to reach 'highest possible peak'

Friday May 06, 2011 11:20:27 AM, IANS

Dhaka: India has said it would like its ties with Bangladesh to attain the "highest possible peak" with bilateral cooperation being consolidated in all sectors.

Visiting Vice President Hamid Ansari expressed this hope while meeting President Zillur Rahman.

"Our relations with Bangladesh will be more and more strengthened in coming days as we share many common things including culture and history," Ansari said Thursday.

Ansari arrived here Thursday on a two-day visit to join the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Nobel Laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore.

The joint launch of the celebrations with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled later Friday.

At present, Rahman said, "excellent bilateral relations" were prevailing between the two countries and Bangladesh attached "great importance" to its ties with India, Bangladesh Sangbad Sanstha (BSS) the official news agency reported.

This is the first high-level visit to Bangladesh by an Indian delegation after the Awami League-led government took office in January 2009.

The visit is perceived as a preparation to the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's trip later this year.

Rahman thanked Ansari for coming to Bangladesh to join the celebrations of Tagore's birth anniversary.

He expressed hope that the joint celebrations would further deepen the friendship between the people of the two countries.

The president called India a trusted friend of Bangladesh and recalled the crucial support of the Indian government and its people during the country's war of independence in 1971.

Ansari said India had supported Bangladesh during its war of independence in 1971 "as a moral responsibility", The Daily Star said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also met Ansari, a former diplomat who has dealt with Bangladesh while in the Indian Foreign Service.

The two leaders discussed a wide range of bilateral issues, expansion of trade and business as well as further flourishing of cultural heritage between the two neighbouring countries, PM's press secretary Abul Kalam told newspersons.
 

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