US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor appealed to Bangladesh to join the US-led Pax Silica initiative on Saturday and held discussions on a range of subjects, including bilateral ties, trade and investment, with Bangladesh PM Rahman at his office in Tejgaon.
Gor asserted that Bangladesh has substantial potential to join the global economic security alliance focused on critical minerals, energy, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.
Pax Silica, led by the US State Department, aimed to reduce reliance on Chinese tech dominance.
The two sides also discussed bilateral relations, trade and investment, regional cooperation and other issues of mutual interest during the meeting, state-owned Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) quoted PM's Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Shadhin as saying.
"Today I called on the Honourable Prime Minister @trahmanbnp to discuss the great opportunities between the US and Bangladesh to strengthen economic cooperation and enhance our partnership. This is a priority for the United States, and working together we can achieve real results," Gor, who is also US Ambassador to India, posted on X after the meeting.
Expressing confidence in PM Rahman's leadership, Gor said that stability has returned to Bangladesh under his leadership. He said the US has revised its travel advisory for Bangladesh, sending an important message to American investors that the country is now ready for investment.
Rahman called on the US to invest in warehousing, soybean, cotton, wheat and other agricultural sectors in Bangladesh, saying it would help build a strong and competitive supply chain.
He also highlighted Bangladesh's interest in attracting US investment in the information technology sector. Gor said that US investors are keen to organise a summit in Bangladesh.
Discussing the Rohingya crisis with PM Rahman, Gor praised Bangladesh for providing shelter to the displaced Myanmar nationals and continuing humanitarian assistance for them. PM Rahman expressed gratitude to the US for providing more than half of the international assistance for the Rohingyas.
Gor emphasised the need for a swift, sustainable and political solution to the Rohingya crisis and underscored the importance of coordinated efforts involving ASEAN, neighbouring countries and all other relevant stakeholders, the report said.
Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent Christensen, and other senior officials from both sides also attended the meeting.
With inputs from PTI