The US State Department has criticized a comment by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during his recent Bangladesh trip and said both Washington and Dhaka share a free and open Indo-Pacific policy.
"...with respect to United States policy, that the United States and Bangladesh share a vision to ensure the Indo-Pacific region is free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in response to a question at a daily briefing on Tuesday.
"That’s the intent of our Indo-Pacific strategy and that is our position."
The State Department was asked about Lavrov's comment that "Moscow would prevent any attempt to establish dictates and interference by the US in this region."
Miller said: "I would say with respect to Russia, a country that has invaded two of its neighbours, is prosecuting an aggressive war where it bombs schools and hospitals and apartment buildings on a daily basis, should not be talking about any other country imposing dictates. It’s a fairly – it’s not the most self-aware comment that Sergei Lavrov has ever made."
Lavrov visited Bangladesh on September 7-8 before joining this year’s G20 summit in New Delhi, representing Russian President Vladimir Putin.