Sushma Swaraj due Wednesday

Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will pay a ‘goodwill visit’ to Bangladesh from June 25-27 during which bilateral issues will be discussed, India confirmed on Saturday. This is going to be Swaraj’s first stand-alone visit abroad as the External Affairs Minister and reflects the importance that India attaches to its bilateral relationship with Bangladesh, a close friend and neighbour, said Indian External Affairs Ministry. The visit will take place at the invitation of her Bangladesh counterpart AH Mahmood Ali. During the visit, Swaraj will hold discussions on bilateral issues with the Bangladesh Foreign Minister. She will also meet President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the visit. However, the Foreign Ministry in Dhaka is yet to inform media about the visit formally, according to a news agency.