February 26, 2024
DHAKA – The US supports a prosperous, secure, and democratic Bangladesh — a message that the visiting US delegation communicated to Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud today.
“We discussed with the Foreign Minister, how our two countries can work on mutual interests, including economic development, security, refugees, climate, labor, and trade,” said US Embassy in a verified Facebook post after the delegation held meeting with Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud at the foreign ministry.
“Bangladesh is an important partner in the Indo-Pacific region,” the embassy said.
US Special Assistant to President Biden, Eileen Loubacher led the delegation that also included USAID Assistant Administrator Michael Schiffer and State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary Afreen Akhter.
They arrived in Dhaka on Thursday on a three-day visit.
The delegation met Environment and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Prime Minister’s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, BNP leaders Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Amir Khasru Mahmud, civil society leaders and labour leaders on Saturday and Sunday.
The US embassy said US is one of the largest investors in Bangladesh and its largest single country export market.
The United States stands ready to help Bangladesh create a business climate that attracts more investment from the US, the US embassy said.
On the meeting between the US delegation and Saber Hossain Chowdhury, the US embassy said Bangladesh is the 7th most vulnerable country to climate change and Washington will be supporting Bangladesh in tackling climate change challenges.
“From training students on protecting wetlands and sustaining forests, to equipping young climate activists with the resources to tackle air pollution, the United States is committed to working with Bangladesh to address the climate crisis.”
They discussed the ways of working together to tackle this shared challenge.
Following the delegation’s meeting with Salman F Rahman, the US embassy highlighted a longstanding partnership of over 50 years with the government and people of Bangladesh. During this time, the US has contributed over $8 billion to address various critical issues including public health, education, energy, environment, food security, and natural disasters, it said in a Facebook post.
“We look forward to working with Bangladesh to enhance economic investment over the next fifty years and beyond,” it added.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud told journalists that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has written a letter to US President Joe Biden.
A copy of the letter was handed over to President Biden’s Special Assistant Eileen Loubacher today. The original letter will be handed over to the White House by Bangladesh Ambassador to the US Mohammad Imran.