Presence of senior Treasury officials in US delegation signals focus on economy; meeting with Yunus tomorrow

US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu arrived in Dhaka today (14 September) wrapping up his India tour, with Bangladesh’s interim government looking forward to having “multi-dimensional” discussions with the visiting US delegation tomorrow.

Assistant Secretary for International Finance at the US Department of the Treasury Brent Neiman arrived this morning, hours prior to Lu’s arrival. They will both be part of the interagency delegation for meetings with the interim government.

Assistant United States Trade Representative Brandon Lynch also arrived in Dhaka as part of the multi-agency US delegation to discuss issues pertaining to bilateral relations.

They were received at the airport by Samia Israt Ronee, director, (North America) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dhaka.

US Treasury Department Director Jerrod Mason, Chargé d’affaires (ad interim) at the US Embassy in Dhaka Helen LaFave, Political/Economic Counselor Eric Geelan and USAID Mission Director Reed Aeschliman are likely to join the meetings scheduled to take place on Sunday, a diplomatic source told UNB.

This is the first US delegation to visit Bangladesh following the formation of the interim government led by Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on 8 August to discuss issues pertaining to bilateral relations. 

“The arrival of the first team of the United States (during this tenure) is a great reflection of the importance they attach to the relationship with Bangladesh. This implies that this discussion will be multi-dimensional; it will not be limited to just one topic,” said Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin.

The US delegation will meet Chief Adviser Yunus on Sunday morning, a senior official told UNB.

They will also meet Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain and Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, apart from their other engagements.

Foreign Secretary Jashim will host a working lunch for the US delegation on Sunday, where representatives from the relevant ministries will attend.

“US and Bangladeshi officials will discuss how the United States can support Bangladesh’s economic growth, financial stability, and development needs,” a spokesperson at the US Department of State said.

Somewhat unusually for US delegations visiting Bangladesh in recent years, this time it is being led by the Treasury Department. The London-based Financial Times newspaper reported earlier in the week that Washington would seek “to help one of the world’s biggest garment exporters boost its economy”.

The inclusion of Nieman in the delegation is seen as key to such prospects.

“The United States is optimistic that, by implementing needed reforms, Bangladesh can address its economic vulnerabilities and build a foundation for continued growth and increased prosperity,” Neiman told the Financial Times.

He also said Washington planned to “underscore US support for Bangladesh’s continued engagement with the IMF and other international financial institutions” as Bangladesh “seeks to strengthen economic growth by deepening financial sector reforms, improving fiscal sustainability and reducing corruption”.

Bangladeshi officials however are remaining tight-lipped about the possible agenda for the meetings.

“I don’t want to make any kind of comments before the discussion starts, which would undermine the normality of the discussion,” said the foreign secretary, when asked about specifics in the agenda.

Responding to a question, he said the government wants to move to a mutually beneficial relationship with everyone. 

The people of Bangladesh have historically had an interest in international affairs, he added.

Throughout his trip, Assistant Secretary Lu will reaffirm the United States’ commitment to supporting “our partners’ economic growth and promoting stability throughout the Indo-Pacific region”, he said.

The senior-level US delegation will discuss ways to take forward the relations between the two countries in the changed political scenario.

Any visit by a US delegation is always important, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The foreign affairs adviser said they will discuss issues which are achievable and stressed that the US visa policy put in place prior to the last general election in Bangladesh will have no bearing on relations going forward.