High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doriaswami has expressed optimism that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s India visit will take "historical and strategic relations" between two countries to new levels.

The High Commissioner outlined the context of the current state of the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India and the prospects, opportunities and the challenges for the future.

He stressed that the successful outcome of the recently held ministerial level meeting of the Joint River Commission(JRC) would provide added substance to the upcoming visit of Prime Ministe Hasina to India.

Read: Hasina's India visit to open new windows of cooperation: MoFA

The High Commissioner also said that discussions on sharing the waters of some other important cross boundary rivers are going on between the two governments at the technical levels.

Doriaswami exchanged views with the members of Association of Former Association (AOFA) at an interactive session on Thursday, said a media release.

The event was held at the Foreign Service Academy.

In response from questions and comments from some of the AOFA members present, High Commissioner Doriaswami said that connectivity trade and travel between the two countries, especially between Bangladesh and the states in north east India, has increased in very large measure but there is need and prospects for further expansion of these ties.

AOFA members stressed on the importance of maintaining the elements of mutual benefit, mutual respect and mutual accommodation to give these ties greater strength.

Shamsher Mubin Chowdhury, President of AOFA, presided over the session, which was followed by lunch.