US envoy's visit to open new chapter in ties: Shama

Bangladesh on Thursday expressed optimism that the upcoming visit of US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor will further strengthen bilateral relations and open new avenues of cooperation between Dhaka and Washington.

Sergio Gor is expected to arrive in Dhaka on July 30 for a three-day visit. According to his schedule, he is expected to meet Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, and exchange views with political party leaders, professionals and representatives of civil society.

"We believe that any high-level US visit will further deepen the relations between Bangladesh and the US. We hope that our multidimensional relations will move forward through this visit," State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"The relationship between Bangladesh and the US has always been good, and that relationship is getting stronger under the current government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman," she said, expressing hope that the visit would bring a new dimension to bilateral relations.

The state minister said issues relating to increased cooperation in trade, economic diplomacy and people-to-people contacts were expected to feature prominently during the discussions.

Sergio Gor currently serves as the US Ambassador to India. He was also appointed by President Donald J Trump as the US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia.

Earlier, Gor served as Assistant to the President and Director of Presidential Personnel at the White House, where he oversaw the recruitment of thousands of political appointees across the federal government.