Pranab Mukherjee felicitated on becoming EAM

New Delhi, Oct 25 (UNI) World leaders including US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Bhutan King Jigme Singhye Wangchuk and Bangladesh Foreign Minister Morshed Khan, today assured External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee of close cooperation for further development of relations with their respective countries.

The three leaders called up Mr Mukherjee and felicitated him on assuming charge of the External Affairs Ministry.

Mr Mukherjee who took over as the External Affairs Minister this morning, returns to the Ministry after ten years.

The telephone conversations also covered mutual assurances of close cooperation for further development of bilateral relations, a spokesman of the External Affairs Ministry said.

Earlier, after taking over, Mr Mukherjee who was Defence Minister before coming to the External Affairs Ministry, sent an olive branch to Pakistan saying it was desirable to live in peace with neighbours for a stable and tension-free atmosphere.

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