INDIA’S POLICY TOWARDS SOUTH ASIA: June-December 2007

The Foreign Secretaries of India and Bangladesh held twoday meeting in Dhaka on June 25-26, 2007. It resulted in reiteration of commitment of both sides to improve the relations by removing the long-standing problems such as “demarcating 6.5 Km borderland, combating cross-border terrorism, greater access for Bangladeshi goods in India” and improving the road-rail links. The Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh, Touhid Hossain and Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Memon emphasized the need for enhanced security cooperation regarding the cross-border crimes. They also reiterated the commitment of both sides not to use their territories in any manner against the interests of each other. The both sides also agreed to start the Kolkata-Dhaka passenger train, giving an impetus to road-and- rail links to promote people to people contacts between the two countries.1