Momen to meet Blinken in Washington tomorrow

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken are scheduled to have a bilateral meeting in Washington Monday to discuss ways to advance the Bangladesh-US ties on key fronts.

Momen is scheduled to reach Washington from New York today, said a senior official, adding that the meeting is likely to be held at 2:00 pm (US time).

During the meeting, Bangladesh will seek efforts to enhance relations on trade and investment fronts, reiterate its call for the return of the killer of Father of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, withdrawal of sanctions on Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and discuss issues of mutual interests.

The two sides will also focus on their ongoing cooperation to deal with the climate crisis, meet the needs of Rohingyas, their safe return to Myanmar, and promote regional security through UN peacekeeping operations.

The US is likely to raise issues related to democracy and human rights, said a diplomatic source.

The foreign minister is scheduled to return home on April 13.

On April 4 last year, Blinken met with Momen to celebrate and reflect on the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh-US relations.