New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will leave for Bangladesh Wednesday on her first stand-alone visit abroad after assuming office with India expected to raise its concerns over illegal migration and Dhaka likely to raise the land boundary agreement and Teesta water treaty.
The visit is considered another step forward in the National Democratic Alliance government’s outreach in the neighbourhood which started with Prime Minister Narendra Modi inviting leaders from SAARC countries for his swearing in last month.
Ahead of the visit, India, however, stated that there was no proposal on the table to provide visa-free travel to Bangladeshi nationals.
During Sushma Swaraj’s three-day visit which culminates June 27, the two sides are slated to discuss various matters of bilateral interest.
Relations between India and Bangladesh have been on the upswing over the last few years and the visit is seen as another effort to cement ties with “a close friend”.
Officials said that Sushma Swaraj choosing Bangladesh for her first stand-alone visit abroad reflects the importance that India attaches to its bilateral relationship with the neighbouring country. Modi’s first visit had been to Bhutan.
It will be the first contact of India’s new foreign minister with Bangladesh’s top political leadership. The visit is being described as “goodwill” and Sushma Swaraj is likely to carry a goodwill message for Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. (IANS)
