Shawdesh Desk:

US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke by phone with Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Tuesday.

Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Momen discussed ways to deepen economic, counterterrorism, and defense cooperation, and work together to address common challenges such as climate change, according to Spokesperson of the US Department of State Ned Price.

“The two leaders also discussed Burma, a durable solution to the Rohingya refugee crisis, and the importance of respect for labor and human rights,” the Spokesperson said.

Secretary Blinken congratulated Foreign Minister Momen on Bangladesh’s fiftieth anniversary of independence in 2021, and both leaders expressed the desire for closer collaboration to address challenges in South Asia and the greater Indo-Pacific region.

Foreign Minister Monen is now in Washington DC and he is scheduled to meet Secretary Blinken Wednesday.