DHAKA, June 3, 2022 (BSS) - Washington has briefed Dhaka on the Indo-Pacific
Economic Framework (IPEF), recently launched by the United States (US) with
12 other countries of the Indo-Pacific region, including India.

"The United States briefed Bangladesh on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework
(IPEF), and Bangladesh welcomed additional information on the supply chain
resilience and de-carbonization pillars of the IPEF," said a joint statement,
issued after 2nd High-Level Economic Consultation (HLEC) between Bangladesh
and the US held in Washington DC on Thursday.

During the meeting, both countries shared a common vision of a free, open,
inclusive, peaceful, and secured Indo-Pacific region with shared prosperity
for all, said the statement.

Dhaka also sought US technical assistance to sustainably explore its ocean
resources and further develop its blue economy in pursuit of environmental
protection and economic prosperity.

Bangladesh Prime Minister's private industry and investment adviser Salman F.
Rahman, MP, and US State Department's Under Secretary for Economic Growth,
Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez co-chaired the daylong meeting.

On May 23, in Tokyo, US President Joe Biden launched the (IPEF) with
Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New
Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam - those together
represent 40 percent of world GDP.

The IPEF is a new concept that seeks to start negotiations and discussions on
four key pillars - supply chain resilience that hard hit by COVID-19 and
Ukraine war; clean energy and de-carbonization; check corruption; and digital
trade and emerging technologies.

On Tuesday in Dhaka, while responding to a question by media regarding
Bangladesh's chance to join the new economic framework, the US ambassador to
Bangladesh Peter Haas said, the US first started consulting with Bangladesh
foreign ministry about IPEF in March by sharing information in the bilateral
dialogues.

The US envoy said there would be opportunities for other countries to join
IPEF and hoped that "Bangladesh will follow it (IPEF) closely".