Harsh Vardhan Shringla also said Bangladesh is one of our most important development partners. (File)
New Delhi:
With Bangladesh as the central pillar of India’s Neighborhood First policy, Dhaka is New Delhi’s largest trading partner in South Asia and bilateral trade between the two countries has grown at an unprecedented rate. % during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Foreign Minister Harsh Vardhan. Shringla on Tuesday.
Speaking at a special briefing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the foreign minister also said that India is Bangladesh’s most important economic partner.
“Bangladesh is a central pillar of the Neighbor First policy. It is also the relationship that intersects with the element of our Act East policy. India today, is a business partner. Bangladesh is the most important economic partner of Bangladesh and Bangladesh is India’s largest trading partner in South Asia. India is Bangladesh’s second largest trading partner,” he added.
Recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh earlier this year, the foreign minister said, “This is the only country that Prime Minister Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar have visited.
“In March, our Prime Minister made a State visit to Bangladesh to take part in the Triveni celebrations. This is a measure of the importance we place on our relationship with Bangladesh, that is destination of the first visits after the pandemic by both the President and the Prime Minister, he said.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs said: “India and Bangladesh came together to commemorate Maitree Diwas on December 6. It is celebrated jointly with New Delhi and Dhaka as well as in capitals around the world. Both Prime Ministers. The general gave a special message on this occasion.”
“Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, bilateral trade remains at an unprecedented pace of 14 percent from $9.46 billion in 2019 to $10.78 billion in 2021,” he said.
Mr. Shringla also said Bangladesh is also one of our most important development partners both in terms of value and scope of cooperation. “We extend a third of our total global development assistance by line of credit to Bangladesh.”
“Also, we are expanding various projects to directly benefit the local communities. India Bangladesh is better connected than ever before. Road, rail, air connections. , river and coastal roads are increasing. Multimodal transport modes using more than one of these channels are very likely today.”
He added: “The common energy space is taking shape, our power grids are interconnected from the east and west with more than 1160 megawatts of electricity from India and Bangladesh.
President Kovind will begin his three-day state visit to Bangladesh from tomorrow. The visit took place within the framework of the 50th Victory Day celebrations in Dhaka where Bangladeshi President Abdul Hamid invited President Kovind to represent India as the guest of honor.
President Kovind is scheduled to depart for Delhi on December 17.
