Kathmandu, 9 January: Minister for Foreign Affairs, who is currently in Bangladesh for a four-day official visit, held talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Abus Samaz Azad in Dhaka today. According to spokesman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues pertaining to bilateral and regional matters figured prominently during the talks between the Nepalese and Bangladeshi Foreign Ministers.

Among the issues raised in the talks were the Nepal-Bangladesh trade via the Kakarbhitta-Phulabari-Bangabandh transit route, and cooperation and possibility of holding the postponed SAARC Summit in Kathmandu figured more prominently.

Despite the opening of the Kakarbhitta-Phulabari-Bangabandh road, Nepal has not been able to benefit to a desired extent. Bastola has already said that his visit would focus more on strengthening infrastructure relating to the trade via this route. The Bangladeshi Foreign Minister assured that his country would give favourable consideration to Nepal’s proposals.

Foreign Minister Bastola started his four-day official visit to Bangladesh from Monday at the invitation of Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Azad. Bastola’s visit is also exploring possibilities expanding trade and economic cooperation between the two nations.