Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today received Bangladesh Foreign Minister Mr. Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali. The Bangladesh Foreign Minister is in New Delhi for the 3rd meeting of the India Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission. During the meeting, Foreign Minister Ali recalled the historical, cultural and economic links between India and Bangladesh. Expressing appreciation for the special emphasis given by the new government under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi to relations with the SAARC region and India's neighbourhood, he conveyed the strong desire of the people and Government of Bangladesh to further strengthen and deepen relations with India. The Prime Minister expressed appreciation for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's personal interest and commitment to the relationship. He reiterated India's resolve to continue extending full support to the efforts of Bangladesh for its socio-economic development. In this context, he called for greater cooperation between India and Bangladesh in the areas of energy, power, infrastructure development and tourism. The Prime Minister also underscored the need to take concrete steps to promote bilateral trade and investment. Noting the complementarity in the geographical locations of India and Bangladesh, it was agreed that improved connectivity through development of transportation (road, rail, inland waterways, shipping and air) links would facilitate economic cooperation and strengthen people-to-people ties. Foreign Minister Ali extended an invitation on behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the Prime Minister to visit Bangladesh. Prime Minister said that he looked forward to visiting Bangladesh at the earliest convenience. He also looks forward to welcoming Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in India.
