Dhaka, Oct. 30 -- Talks on expanding the "Big-B" initiative during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's Tokyo visit stayed strictly between Dhaka and Tokyo, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir has said.

He told a Foreign Ministry briefing on Friday that the joint statement issued by the two heads of government names no other country, or even the Bay of Bengal, and that nothing was discussed on drawing India's northeast, Nepal and Bhutan into "Big-B".

Holding up a copy of the statement, Kobir said Dhaka knows any talks involving another nation would need that nation's representatives at the table.

"In the joint communique you will see that we mentioned Big-B was discussed as part of an exclusive economic partnership between Japa...