U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton meets Bangladesh Foreign Minster Dipu Moni
By Hameed Shaheen
Islamabad—Bangladesh and the United States have agreed to ‘develop deeper and broader people-to-people ties’ between them that include educational and cultural exchanges, encouraging innovation and expanding the commercial and trade relations by building on the creativity and rich diversity of both societies. This bilateral agreement comes at the conclusion US Secretary of State Hillary of Clinton’s visit to Bangladesh on Sunday.
The accord, as per web posting of US State Department, says: “We, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton of the United States of America and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Member of Parliament Dr. Dipu Moni of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, affirm the strong bonds of friendship and shared values that exist between our two countries and reaffirm our desire to deepen our partnership in addressing bilateral, regional and global issues to the mutual benefit of both Bangladesh and the United States. “We believe that a strong partnership between Bangladesh and the United States, working together to further mutual peace, security and development, is in the interests of the people of Bangladesh, the United States and the world. As we look to the challenges of the 21st century, our shared interests and values, including respect for human rights and the rule of law, should guide our collective engagement on addressing the challenges of our time.
“Leveraging the values of tolerance, respect for human rights, inclusion and resilience of Bangladesh society, including a robust civil society, we intend our broader collaboration to be anchored in a strong bilateral development partnership focused on joint development priorities, including food security, maternal and child health, family planning, climate change, strengthening democracy, youth and women’s empowerment, among others.
“We reiterate our support for the United Nations system, underscore the value of UN-led peacekeeping and peace-building initiatives, and note Bangladesh’s singular contribution to such activities.
“We affirm our dedication to deepening dialogue in security cooperation, including in combating terrorism, violent extremism, and transnational crime, such as narcotics trafficking, piracy, and trafficking in persons and arms.”
Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images
