Menon discusses border security with WB CM

Kolkata, Jun 23: On the eve of his visit to Bangladesh, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon today met Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee here to discuss various issues including illegal infiltration from Bangladesh and cross border security matters.

Speaking to mediapersons, Mr Menon said, ''We hope to review our relationship with Bangladesh in the secretary-level meet. We aim to take the relationship forward. Before going to that country, I had a constructive meeting with Bengal Chief Minister. I have received help and advice from him.'' Dhaka and New Delhi are set to begin two-day Foreign Secretary-level talks from June 25 after over two years. Mr Menon would arrive in Bangladesh on June 24 to hold talks with Bangladesh Foreign Secretary-in-charge Touhid Hossain.

After External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's visit to Dhaka in February, this will be the first meeting where the entire gamut of ties between Bangladesh and India will be covered--from India's security apprehensions to trade, visa, economic, investment, water sharing and political issues. The talks will be the first formal dialogue after the caretaker Bangladesh government took charge in January.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is likely to be signed between the two countries to remove non-tariff barriers.

India is likely to take up issues concerning cross-border security, including clamping down on ULFA activities across the border and the problem of illegal immigration during the secretary-level meeting with Bangladesh next week.

UNI