Dhaka, July 19 (FN Bureau) Bangladesh Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal thanked the country’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for inviting Bangladesh as a ‘guest country’ in the G-20 summit. Besides, a bilateral meeting between the finance ministers of the two countries was also held on the sidelines of the conference. In the meeting, Nirmala Sitharaman expressed the hope of working together by identifying areas for increasing cooperation in the areas of economy of the two countries. At this time, Mustafa Kamal urged Indian Finance Minister Sitharaman to visit Bangladesh to see the socio-economic development of Bangladesh. This information was informed in a statement sent by the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday. According to the Ministry of Finance, a bilateral meeting was held between Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal and Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the sidelines of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting at Gandhinagar in Gujarat. At the beginning of the meeting, the Finance Minister of India welcomed the Finance Minister of Bangladesh.
The finance ministers of the two countries discussed in detail the bilateral economic cooperation between Bangladesh and India. Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said India’s relationship with Bangladesh is very strong and friendly. India’s name is closely associated with our great liberation war. The three names of Bangabandhu, Bangladesh and India are closely associated with the liberation war. India is not only Bangladesh’s closest neighbor but also our trusted and tested friend. Our history, language, culture and mindset are deeply intertwined with India. There is a rich history of development and progress. The ministry also said despite Bangladesh not being a member of the G-20 alliance, Bangladesh has received the status of a “guest country” in the South Asian region. The host country India has invited Bangladesh as the only ‘guest country’ in South Asia. The finance minister expressed gratitude to the country for this. The Finance Minister of India praised the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the development of Bangladesh-India relations and the overall socio-economic development of Bangladesh. She said as the connectivity between the two countries increases, the relationship between the people of the two countries will be strengthened. Nirmala Sitharaman expressed the hope of working together by identifying areas of cooperation in the areas of economy of the two countries. Meanwhile, Mustafa Kamal urged the Indian Finance Minister to visit Bangladesh to see the socio-economic development of Bangladesh.