Increased engagement with Bangladesh forces positive sign: Defence Ministry

India and Bangladesh held the fifth Annual Defence Dialogue.

Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, who is on a two-day visit to Bangladesh, co-chaired the meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart Lt Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman, Principal Staff Officer, Armed Forces Division.

"The Armed Forces of both countries continue to seek bilateral cooperation in multiple fields and the increased engagements are a positive sign for the future of the relations of both countries," the ministry said.

The Annual Defence Dialogue between India and Bangladesh is the highest institutionalized interactive mechanism between the two nations, the Ministry of defence said in a statement.

"In the dialogue, both countries highlighted its significance in charting the future course of relations between the two Armed Forces," the statement read.

During the meeting, the ongoing defence cooperation activities between the two countries were reviewed, and both sides expressed satisfaction at the increasing defence cooperation engagements, according to the ministry. "The talks covered the existing bilateral exercises, and both sides agreed to increase the complexity of these exercises," the statement added.

Giridhar Aramane and Lt Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman acknowledged the fruitful dialogue and stressed that both countries look forward to continued engagement based on the common understanding reached at the fifth Annual Defence Dialogue.