‘It has to work for us’: Jaishankar on India-Bangladesh relationship

For any relationship to work, it has to meet the test of mutual interest, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday in the context of the current state of India-Bangladesh ties.

Jaishankar made the remarks at the Economic Times World Leaders Forum.

“What I can tell you is, for any relationship to work, it has to meet the test of mutual interest. It has to work for us," he said while declining to respond to a question on Dhaka’s demand that India extradite former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

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“I am not expecting neighbours to only do what is in my interest. There has to be a reasonable degree of my recognising and respecting what is in their interest, just as I expect them also to do so,” Jaishankar said in the context of relations with the neighbouring nations.

“It is when you get that landing point, that common ground, relationships work smoothly,” he said, adding mutuality of interests underpins overall engagement.

Jaishankar’s remarks came amid continuing uncertainty over Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s potential visit to India.