US briefs Dhaka on Indo-Pacific Economic Framework

Dhaka: The United States has briefed Dhaka on the newly launched 13-country initiative Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). In a joint statement issued after the 2nd High Level Economic Consultation between the US and Bangladesh held in Washington on Thursday, Bangladesh welcomed additional information on the supply chain resilience, and de-carbonisation pillars of the IPEF.

The statement said that both the countries shared a common vision of a free, open,inclusive, peaceful, and secured Indo-Pacific region with shared prosperity for all.

Dhaka has also sought US assistance in exploring its marine resources and further developing the blue economy to ensure environmental protection and economic prosperity.

Earlier, during a program in Dhaka, US Ambassador Peter Haas had said that the US started consulting with the Foreign Ministry of Bangladesh about the IPEF in March by sharing information in the bilateral dialogues, reports the official news agency BSS.

The US envoy said there would be opportunities for other countries to join IPEF and hoped that Bangladesh would follow IPEF closely.
The IPEF was launched in Tokyo on May 23 by the US President and the leaders of twelve countries of the Asia Pacific region including Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Meanwhile, China has asked Bangladesh that it should ‘reject the cold war mentality and bloc-politics’. In a statement issued after meeting between the Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Liu Jinsong and Bangladeshi Ambassador to China Mahbub Uz Zaman in Beijing on Thursday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry criticised Washington for its Indo-Pacific strategy, AUKUS and Quad grouping for ‘US-Centrism’ and ‘exceptionalism’. These will undermine the regional cooperation framework and create block confrontation, said the statement.