Swaraj visit to herald 'new era': Foreign Minister

The visit of India’s new External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will open “a new era” of Dhaka-Delhi ties, her Bangladesh counterpart Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali has said.

After attending a function in Dhaka on Sunday, Ali told journalists that he and Swaraj would discuss a whole range of bilateral issues during the meeting.

“Her visit will open a new era of relationship,” was the only comment of the soft-spoken minister when asked about Sushma Swaraj's visit.

Swaraj will visit Bangladesh from June 25 to June 27, two sides announced on Saturday.

Announcing her visit, New Delhi also said the visit would provide “further momentum to the close and friendly relationship between India and Bangladesh”.

This is her first “stand-alone” visit abroad as the External Affairs Minister and it reflects “the importance that India attaches to its bilateral relationship with Bangladesh, a close friend and neighbour,” her ministry said in a statement.

Earlier, she accompanied Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his Bhutan tour.

Swaraj will hold discussions on bilateral issues with Mahmood Ali. She will also call on the President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

She will also deliver a lecture on ‘Bangladesh-India relations’ at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), among her many others engagement.