White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby has said the only the Indian government can talk about their influence on Bangladesh's upcoming national elections.
John Kirby made the statement during a regular briefing in Washingon DC on Tuesday while talking about the potential discussion of regional issues during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the United States.
At the press conference, Khaleda Zia's ex-press official Mushfiq Fazal Ansari, who was representing Just News media and the South Asia perspectives, asked John Kirby on India's role in upcoming national elections in Bangladesh.
Mentioning that the US already made its position on upcoming national elections clear, the White House official said: “So I can only speak for ourselves. You know where we are. We've been pretty public about that, but we would let the Indian Government talk about their bilateral relations [with Bangladesh].”
Regarding concerns over the influence of India in the previous controversial elections in Bangladesh, he assured that President Biden would raise US concerns during his talks with Prime Minister Modi, as he always does.
When asked about the Biden-Harris administration's focus on democracy and human rights as key foreign policy tools, pointing out if discussions on regional democratic stability and human rights would be part of the agenda during the Indian Prime Minister's visit, John Kirby emphasized President Biden's consistent emphasis on human rights in his discussions with leaders worldwide.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently on a visit to the United States and is scheduled to meet with President Biden at the White House on Thursday.
