EAM Jaishankar to visit Dhaka

New Delhi: Following the visit of Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan to India, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is likely to visit Dhaka on 20-21 August.

This will be Jaishankar's maiden visit to Dhaka after taking over as External Affairs Ministry. Though the visit of EAM is taken to be a 'courtesy' visit, a new paradigm of relationship might be worked out. It's also expected that Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheik Hasina might visit New Delhi in October for attending a meeting of a multilateral economic forum. After this, both PM Modi and Hasina might find an opportunity to meet at the sidelines of the UNGA meeting. It's customary that newly appointed EAM pays a courtesy visit to neighbouring countries first. Jaishankar has already visited Nepal and Bhutan after becoming EAM. Now, he will pay a courtesy visit to Dhaka to meet the leadership of Bangladesh. Apart from meeting with Foreign Minister Abdul Momen, EAM might meet the PM during his stay.

It will be the first meeting between two leaders of two closely related neighbour after the general election of India and Bangladesh. Both the countries are keenly watching the first meeting between two Home minister where some contentious issues might come up for discussion for the first time. Despite being described as 'courtesy meeting', diplomats of both sided are working hard to finalise the agenda of the meeting. Bangladesh High commissioner to India Syed Moazzem Ali has recently met EAM and handed over an official invitation to him for visiting Dhaka in suitable time. The EAM has already accepted the invitation, sources confirmed.

Recently, the EAM had a meeting with High Commissioners and Ambassadors of the neighbouring countries to discuss an ambitious plan of implementing Act East Policy jointly with Japan.