US won't take any side in upcoming poll: Amb. Haas

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas has said the US will not take any side in the upcoming polls in Bangladesh and reiterated US commitment across the world to help countries strengthen democracy. He made the remarks while addressing a seminar on Sunday.

"Let me be clear: the United States will not pick a side in the upcoming elections. We simply hope for a democratic process that allows the Bangladeshi people to freely decide who will run their country," said the Ambassador.

Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) organized the seminar on “Bangladesh and the United States Relations: Moving Towards Enhanced Cooperation and Partnership” at the BIISS Auditorium. Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen spoke as the chief guest.

The US Ambassador said the relations between the two countries grew with a series of recent engagements while two more important engagements will be held in the coming months. Ambassador Haas said the two countries can enhance security cooperation.

The Ambassador also talked about two proposed agreements - General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) and Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement (ACSA) which are "essential" to enabling a closer defence relationship, expanding opportunities for defence trade, information sharing, and military-to-military cooperation between two countries.

He said there many misperception about these two proposed agreements.