US, Bangladesh annual partnership dialogue to be held in Washington in June

The fifth partnership dialogue between the US and Bangladesh will be held in Washington in June.

This annual dialogue discusses all aspects of bilateral relations.

The foreign ministry said during her visit, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal said that they were looking forward to holding the fifth ‘partnership dialogue’ in June.

Biswal paid a two-day visit to Bangladesh following the conversation between the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the US Secretary of State John Kerry on Apr 28 after the murder of USAID staff Xulhaz Mannan.

Kerry had told the prime minister that he would send Biswal to discuss the bilateral cooperation in counter terrorism and countering violent extremism.

During the visit, Biswal called on the prime minister, foreign minister, home minister, political adviser to the prime minister and state minister for foreign affairs.

She also held a bilateral discussion with the foreign secretary.

During those meetings, she underscored the importance of the growing bilateral cooperation between the two countries in counterterrorism and countering violent extremism, the foreign ministry said.

The prime minister reiterated her government’s policy of “zero tolerance” against all forms of terrorism.

The assistant secretary mentioned that the US wanted to work together with Bangladesh and expected that “Bangladesh would value this partnership”.

The foreign ministry said Biswal also indicated that President Obama intended to extend an invitation to the prime minister to co-host a sideline event on the UN High Level Meeting on large-scale movement of refugees and migrants during the general assembly in September this year in New York.