Foreign minister invites new US state secretary to Bangladesh

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has invited new US Secretary of State Antony John Blinken to visit Bangladesh and attend the celebrations of the Birth Centenary of the Father of the Nation and the Golden Jubilee of the country's independence.

He wrote a letter of congratulation to Blinken, whose nomination as the Secretary of State has been confirmed by US Senate on Tuesday, just more than a week after President Joe Biden took office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

In the letter, Momen underscored that such visit of the US Secretary of State would further strengthen the multifaceted bilateral relations, and would also provide Blinken an overview of the "miraculous development" Bangladesh has achieved under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He expressed his disposition to work closely with his US counterpart to achieve the two friendly countries' common goals of peace, development and security for all.

Terming the Bangladesh-US relations as a unique partnership, Momen stressed upon Bangladesh's willingness to work with the new US Administration to further strengthen the ties, address common challenges and to build on the progress and prosperity that has been achieved.

He also expected that the new US administration will deport Rashed Chowdhury, the fugitive killer of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in the spirit of ensuring justice and rule of law.

Momen further thanked the United States for the strong political support and humanitarian assistance provided for the Rohingyas, and expected that Joe Biden's administration would work more proactively in the international efforts to resolve the crisis through safe and sustainable return of the displaced Rohingyas to their ancestral land in Myanmar.

Opining that Bangladesh can be a lucrative destination for new US investment, he stated Bangladesh government's keenness to have wider US cooperation in economic arena, especially in the form of trade liberalisation and foreign direct investment.

Bangladesh being the present Chair of the 48-member Climate Vulnerable Forum, Momen expressed deep satisfaction about the return of the US to the Paris Agreement, and hoped that two countries would work closely to save the planet for the future generation.