The two-day second partnership dialogue between Bangladesh and the US concluded Monday with a note on broadening and deepening the partnership relations further between the two countries.
Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque and US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman are “committed to intensifying the ongoing efforts to work together to enhance workers’ rights and safety standards to prevent such tragedies from occurring again” said a joint statement issued Monday.
The US State Department under secretary at a press briefing said both the governments were committed to deep economic integration.
“We also talked about trade and investment. Ticfa is one mechanism for deepening the relationship. But we have many mechanisms for doing so,” she said.
Sherman said the Trade and Investment Cooperation Framework Agreement (Ticfa) was something they looked forward to and the two governments were working towards that end.
About the GSP review, she said the decision would come sometime in June. She did not elaborate on the issue. Sherman said there was no link between GSP and Ticfa. “They are individual processes.”
On the role of international buyers in establishment of workers’ rights and maintenance of safety standards in Bangladeshi factories, she said: “Absolutely, buyers have a very critical role.”
The US official said they would continue to work in every way to ensure buyers play their due role. It was agreed that the third partnership dialogue would be held in Washington next year.
