Staff Reporter:
Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman yesterday said the government is reviewing the invitation for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi as a special guest.
“We’re currently reviewing it. We will take a decision and inform you immediately once that decision is made,” he told journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here this afternoon.
The Foreign Minister was speaking after newly appointed Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi paid his first courtesy call on him.
Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kobir was also present at the briefing.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to attend the 18th BRICS Summit, scheduled to be held in New Delhi on September 12-13.
Khalilur said the Prime Minister has received several invitations for foreign visits, while his upcoming participation in the United Nations General Assembly in New York also needs to be taken into consid-eration while finalising his diplomatic engagements.
“There are several invitations. At the same time, the Prime Minister will attend the General Assembly in New York. So, we have to consider all these engagements together,” he added.
Referring to his recent interaction with Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar in Manila, Kha-lilur said both sides expressed hope that Dhaka and New Delhi would work to further strengthen bilateral relations in the coming days.
Earlier, Indian High Commissioner Trivedi said New Delhi was eagerly looking forward to welcoming Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to India and expressed hope that the visit would take place soon.
The invitation to the BRICS Summit comes amid renewed diplomatic engagement between Dhaka and New Delhi, with both sides expressing their willingness to take bilateral relations forward on the basis of mutual interests.
