Declaration signed for regular talks on strategic cooperation
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton exchange documents at an agreement signing ceremony in presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Prime Minister's Office yesterday. Photo: PMO
Bangladesh and the United States yesterday signed a joint declaration on “Bangladesh-US Partnership Dialogue”, aiming to establish regular dialogues on strategic cooperation. The agreement also aims to deepen the partnership in addressing bilateral, regional and global issues to the mutual benefit of both countries. Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni and US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton signed the umbrella agreement. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina witnessed the signing at her office in the capital after the official talks. Following is the full text of the joint declaration: “We, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Member of Parliament Dr Dipu Moni of the People's Republic of Bangladesh and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton of the United States of America, 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 peacebuilding 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. “We also intend to develop deeper and broader people-to-people ties between the United States and Bangladesh, including through educational and cultural exchanges, encouraging innovation and expanding our commercial and trade relations by building on the creativity and rich diversity of our societies. We further support the exchange of information, skills and technology bilaterally, regionally and globally to promote new economic opportunities for our citizens. “To advance these and other shared objectives, and to review and give strategic direction to the bilateral relationship and its wide array of ongoing and future cooperative activities, we intend to hold regular, annual consultations under a Partnership Dialogue. The Dialogue will be led at the level of Foreign Secretary/Under Secretary of State and held at times mutually convenient to both parties, alternating between our respective capitals. We also intend to hold periodic consultations at the Foreign Minister-Secretary level.”
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