US shares India\\\'s desire for more interconnected S Asia: Bernicat

Lauding Narendra Modi’s efforts to reach out to all of India’s neighbours, US Ambassador-designate to Bangladesh Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat has said the US shares India’s desire for a South Asia that is better and more interconnected. ‘It is refreshing to see that Prime Minister Modi has reached out to all of India’s neighbours as its first acts, and I think that those are very positive signs,’ Bernicat told Senators during her confirmation hearing. ‘We share with India a desire for a region that is better and more interconnected because it is the least interconnected region, particularly from an economic standpoint,’ she said. ‘We share also with India a desire to see Bangladesh be a strong, pluralistic democracy that is free of political violence and that, of course, is stable, she said in response to a question from Senator Time Kaine, who chaired hearing. Bernicat said Bangladesh is a focus country for 3 of the president’s key development efforts: global health, global climate change and Feed the Future. The US also works closely with Bangladesh to combat trafficking in persons; mitigate the threat of natural disasters; strengthen counterterrorism, maritime security and peacekeeping efforts; and combat trafficking in drugs and arms, she said. In her testimony, she said ‘Noting that labour rights and workplace safety remain a top US priority. US wants Bangladesh to ensure that there will be no more heart-rending tragedies like Rana Plaza building collapse or the Tazreen Fashions factory fire. ‘With support from the US and other international partners, Bangladesh has begun to make progress in transforming its garment sector,’ she said. Bernicat also said that ‘with a consistent annual economic growth rate of roughly 6 per cent, Bangladesh aspires to become a middle-income country and is an increasingly important trading partner and destination for US investment. Strategically situated between a growing India and a newly opening Burma, it is well-positioned to play a key role in linking South and Southeast Asia,’ she added, according to a news agency.