New Delhi:
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday spoke to his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina, soon after his two-day visit to the eastern neighbour Sep 6-7 was announced, to give her a sense of the highest importance that New Delhi attaches to its relations with Dhaka.
Brushing aside a row over his remarks about anti-India sentiments in Bangladesh, Manmohan Singh called up Sheikh Hasina to tell her he was "looking forward" to the visit and "to renewing contacts" with his old friends in Dhaka.
Here's a statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs:
Following the official announcement of his visit to Bangladesh on 6-7 September, PM Dr. Manmohan Singh called the Prime Minister of Bangladesh HE Sheikh Hasina, to say how much he was looking forward to the visit and to renewing contacts with his old friends there. Prime Minister 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. PM conveyed his warm personal greetings to her and through her to the people of Bangladesh.
PM said that India attached the highest importance to relations with Bangladesh and that 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. PM noted with satisfaction that there had been an increase in high level exchanges. The Vice President of India had visited Bangladesh recently.
The External Affairs Minister Shri S.M. Krishna is scheduled to pay an official visit the day after tomorrow, to review bilateral ties and prepare for the Prime Minister's visit. PM 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.