Sunday, June 19 2005 12:36 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Dhaka: Ahead of the Indo-Bangla Foreign Secretary-level talks in New Delhi, Bangladesh has said it attached "considerable importance" to the two-day meeting from (Jun 21, 2005) Tuesday during which all issues of bilateral interest and cooperation will be discussed.

"I am going to Delhi with an open, fresh and positive mind for consultation with my Indian counterpart Shyam Saran," Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Hemayetuddin told reporters in Dhaka, commenting on the June 21-22 talks.

"We will discuss all issues of bilateral interest and cooperation," he said.

"We are looking for a positive consultation and attaching considerable importance to the meeting which is also significant for our foreign policy," said Hemayetuddin, who was Dhaka's envoy to New Delhi before becoming the Foreign Secretary.

Officials hope that the annual meeting, which was not held for two years, would give a fresh impetus to bilateral ties.

The talks, during which the two sides would review the entire gamut of bilateral relations, would have an "open-ended agenda," official sources said.

Hemayetuddin said the meeting had special significance as both the countries have expressed their commitment to continue efforts to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.

"Our co-operation with India is multifaceted -- we have interaction not only at the official level but there is intensive engagement between the business communities, civil societies and people of various walks of life of the two countries," Hemayetuddin said.

He said the engagements provide a strong foundation for enhanced bilateral cooperation between the two neighbours.

"We are going to emphasise the positive elements that underpin our co-operation which, I think, will facilitate looking for ways and means to address some of the issues where there may be differences of views.

"I am confident that our meeting will facilitate building a strong partnership for progress for the mutual benefit of our people," said the Bangladesh Foreign Secretary, who flies to New Delhi tomorrow.

About the issues to figure in the talks, he said security, border management, trade and sharing of water resources of common rivers may come up for discussion.

The Bangladesh side would take up the issues of duty-free access of Bangladeshi products, removal of tariff barriers and trade gap, he said, adding, "I do not want to speculate anything about the meeting because we are due to discuss all bilateral issues."

The Bangladesh Foreign Secretary would be assisted in the talks by Director General South Asia, Joint Secretary (Political) of the Home ministry, Joint Secretary of the Commerce Ministry along with high officials of the Bangladesh High Commission in India.

After the formal talks, Hemayetudin is expected to meet a number of Indian leaders to discuss further expansion of bilateral cooperation.