Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Wednesday she was ready to work with her new Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, inspite of his hardline image.
Hasina, who is serving as prime minister for the third time, said she has dealt with four different Indian governments “This is the fifth one” and was keen to maintain a working relationship with her powerful and populous neighbour.
“He has his own ideas. Now he has become the prime minister of India, I hope he will also act as the prime minister of India,” she told a press conference in Tokyo, on the fourth day of her visit to Japan.
“What I believe is that through bilateral discussions, if there is any problem, we can solve it,” she said.
She stressed the region shares a “common enemy” in poverty, which it needs to fight through economic development. “Bangladesh´s foreign policy is very clear. Friendship to all, and malice to none,” she said.