Iftekhar, Pranab talks bilateral issues at BIMSTEC meet

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Foreign adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury had bilateral talks with his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee Thursday, at the sidelines of the 10th ministerial meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation in New Delhi, reports bdnews24.com.

The two leaders discussed political and economic issues affecting the two countries, said Iftekhar.

"Our discussions covered the entire gamut of bilateral relations including political and economic issues," he told the news agency over telephone from New Delhi.

"We also discussed means of rendering BIMSTEC a more effective bridge between SAARC and ASEAN," he said.

Both Bangladesh and India wanted to discuss ways and means of activating all bilateral and functional mechanisms through holding regular meetings, he said.

The foreign adviser also met Thai foreign minister Tej Bunnag on the sidelines of the ministerial gathering.

Iftekhar reached the Indian capital Thursday afternoon to attend the ministerial meeting.