New Delhi, March 20 (NationPress) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar engaged in discussions with Riaz Hamidullah, the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India, in New Delhi on Friday, with a primary focus on enhancing bilateral relations.

In a post on X, EAM Jaishankar shared, "I met with High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah of Bangladesh. Our discussions were centered on improving our bilateral ties."

India reaffirmed its commitment to support Bangladesh and other neighboring nations regarding their energy supply needs while managing domestic requirements, refining capabilities, and diesel availability.

During a media briefing on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized that India has received energy requests from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and other neighboring nations.

He noted that India has been supplying diesel to Bangladesh since 2007 through various transportation methods and continues to assist the South Asian country alongside other neighbors.

"Concerning energy, we've received requests from several neighboring countries, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Maldives. As mentioned earlier, India has been supplying diesel to Bangladesh since 2007 through multiple transportation modes. We are dedicated to assisting Bangladesh and our other neighbors at this time while considering our own needs, refining capacities, and diesel availability," Jaiswal stated.

He also pointed out that ongoing conflicts in West Asia have affected energy shipping routes, raising concerns over LPG supply.

"Consequently, we are prioritizing domestic consumption and ensuring that domestic consumers are served first. Their needs will be addressed before we determine how to manage LPG supplies to commercial entities. However, this remains a significant concern due to supply shortages," he added.

Earlier this month, India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, conducted a series of meetings with ministers from the newly-formed Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government led by Tarique Rahman, discussing avenues for enhancing bilateral cooperation.

According to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, Verma met with Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Bangladesh’s Minister of Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperatives, to explore areas of mutual interest, including strengthening collaboration in local governance and rural development.

Both parties agreed to bolster bilateral engagement in sectors such as rural economy, agricultural cooperatives, and grassroots financial empowerment.

"The High Commissioner emphasized that India-Bangladesh relations are rooted in people-to-people connections and that India is committed to engaging positively with Bangladesh to promote people-centric cooperation across all domains, grounded in mutual interests and benefits," the Indian High Commission conveyed on X.

Verma also met with Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bangladesh’s Minister of Liberation War Affairs, reiterating the strong historical ties between the two nations, forged through shared sacrifices during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.

"They highlighted the importance of collaboration based on mutual respect and trust to further strengthen the ties between our peoples," stated the Indian High Commission.