Bangladesh will discuss trade imbalance, sharing of water of
common rivers and security issue with India during the
Khaleda-Manmohan meeting to be held in New Delhi on Tuesday, a high
official said in Dhaka on Sunday.
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia will drive to secure
concrete assurance from New Delhi that no river project would
adversely affect the interest of Bangladesh, private news agency
UNB quoted Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary Hemayet Uddin as
saying.
Khaleda, who will meet with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
on March 21, will seek to reduce the huge trade deficit with
India.
"From our side we will stress on reducing trade imbalance...it's
very important for us. We'll also highlight the need for a just
sharing of waters of the common rivers including the Teesta,"
Foreign Secretary Hemayet was quoted as saying.
Security issue and the entire range of bilateral relations will
be discussed in a free and frank manner, the Foreign Secretary
said.
Hemayet hoped that the outcome of the Khaleda-Manmohan meeting
would "herald a new chapter in our bilateral relations."
India is Bangladesh's important neighbor with multi-faceted
relations and Bangladesh attaches great importance to this, he
said, adding "the prime minister's visit is a vindication of this
importance relations."
He said it is expected that some agreements will be signed
following the talks between the two prime ministers.
Khaleda will pay a three-day state visit to India from
Monday.
(Xinhua News Agency March 20, 2006)
