The summit was finalized during the recent India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission meet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a virtual summit with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina in December, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami has reaffirmed, adding that is not being seen as a substitute for an in person visit by the Indian PM.

Rather it will be a complementary summit, he said during a meeting with Bangladesh Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, according to a report by Dhaka Tribune.

The meeting between the two Prime Ministers was confirmed earlier during the sixth India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Bangladesh Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen in September.

India and Bangladesh share excellent bilateral relations and both sides appreciated the historical bond.

During the meeting on Wednesday, Doraiswami reiterated that India will give top priority for trial, distribution, delivery, and partial co-production of the Covid-19 vaccine following the trial in India, the report said.

The Indian High Commissioner acknowledged the willingness and efforts of the Bangladesh Minister of State for Foreign Affairs to develop bilateral relations between the two countries.

According to the Dhaka Tribune report, Doraiswami also assured that the air bubble arrangement between Bangladesh and India will be finalized soon and other regulations will also be eased eventually.

Other issues, including restoration of Chilahati-Haldibari rail link, connectivity with North-East India, and Bangabandhu-Bapu Digital Museum, were also discussed during the meeting.

After the meeting, the Bangladesh minister took to his Twitter account. “Pleasure welcoming newly appointed High Commissioner of India @VDoraiswami. We have achieved so much but yet whole lot more to deliver in coming days to meet people’s expectations. Wished him well and reiterated my support in the first courtesy call,” Alam said.