Washington , Oct 12 (V7N): A series of high-level meetings took place in Washington, D.C., centering on bolstering bilateral ties between the United States and Bangladesh. These discussions, led by Bangladesh's new Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin, focused on key topics such as economic cooperation, counterterrorism efforts, democratic reforms, and responses to the ongoing Rohingya crisis.

Jashim Uddin, who assumed the role of foreign secretary in September under the interim government led by Nobel Laureate Dr. Mohammad Yunus, embarked on his first official visit abroad to the US on October 7. During this visit, he held separate meetings at the State Department with several key officials, including Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma, Acting Under Secretary for Political Affairs John Bass, and Acting Assistant Secretary for Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration Marta Costanzo Youth.

A lunch meeting also took place with Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu, where other senior officials from the State Department participated in discussions. Uddin also met with Brendan Lynch, Assistant USTR for South and Central Asia, and Lindsey W. Ford, Special Assistant to President Joe Biden and Senior Director for South Asia at the White House.

These discussions, as shared by both the US officials on social media and Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, focused on areas of mutual interest and aimed to further enhance cooperation.

The bilateral relations between the two nations have recently strengthened, highlighted by a rare meeting between President Joe Biden and Dr. Muhammad Yunus during the UN General Assembly in September. During the meeting, Biden expressed support for Bangladesh’s democratic reforms and economic restructuring, which was followed by further discussions between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Dr. Yunus.

These Washington meetings come on the heels of a high-level US delegation visit to Bangladesh in September, led by Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu. Jashim Uddin’s trip aims to continue building on these recent diplomatic engagements.

Meeting Highlights:

  • Richard Verma: Discussions focused on US support for Bangladesh’s reform initiatives, addressing challenges such as the Rohingya crisis, labor law reforms, and collaboration on areas of mutual interest. Verma reaffirmed the US’s commitment to democratic reforms and economic stability in Bangladesh.

  • John Bass: Talks centered on advancing bilateral cooperation in priority areas like regional security, economic growth, and counterterrorism efforts. Both sides emphasized the importance of strengthening Bangladesh-US collaboration for the region's prosperity.

  • Marta Costanzo Youth: The Rohingya crisis was the primary focus, with both nations reaffirming their partnership in addressing the refugee situation. Youth emphasized continued US support and called for other donors to contribute more.

  • Brendan Lynch: The foreign secretary and Lynch discussed ways to diversify Bangladesh's exports, including the duty-free access of garments made from US-imported cotton, and addressed labor law reforms, as well as access to US International Development Finance Cooperation.

  • Lindsey W. Ford: This meeting explored various issues, including the interim government's reform agenda, economic and security concerns, and regional stability, along with the Rohingya crisis.

These meetings underscored the ongoing efforts to strengthen the US-Bangladesh relationship, with a focus on ensuring stability, supporting reforms, and enhancing economic collaboration.

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