External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar arrived in Dhaka yesterday evening to participate in the 6th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC). He was welcomed by State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh Shahriar Alam on arrival in Dhaka. He is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the IOC today.
Dr. Jaishankar called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last evening and conveyed ‘personal greetings and warm regards of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.’ In a tweet, he said that the ‘guidance and vision of our leaders continue to strengthen India-Bangladesh ties’.
After the meeting with Dr. Jaishankar, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed satisfaction at the level of bilateral cooperation between the two countries in various fields, reports the official news agency BSS.
The 6th edition of the Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina this evening. She will later host a dinner in honour of the guests. Close to 150 foreign guests from 25 countries are participating in the conference including representatives from BIMSTEC, SAARC and D8. President of Mauritius, Prithvirajsing Roopun and Vice President of Maldives Faisal Naseem are among the dignitaries who arrived in Dhaka for the IOC.
The Conference endeavours to bring critical states and principal maritime partners of the region together on a common platform to deliberate upon the prospects of regional cooperation for Security And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR), says the India Foundation which is organising the IOC in association with Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Bangladesh and S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore.