Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and US Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler on Tuesday discussed defence cooperation, humanitarian assistance, disaster response and regional security, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties.

 The meeting was held at the Prime Minister's Office in the Cabinet Division at the Secretariat, said PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Shadhin.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister recalled the US-led Operation Sea Angel, launched after the devastating 1991 cyclone in Bangladesh, and appreciated the longstanding cooperation between the two countries in humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

Admiral Koehler highlighted Bangladesh's participation in various bilateral and multilateral naval exercises.

He said the next Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise will be held in Bangladesh in November.

He also referred to Bangladesh's participation in the Sea Vision Exercise in Singapore and expressed hope that Bangladesh would regularly take part in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise and related training programmes in the future.

The two sides also discussed progress on the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) and the mutual understanding between Bangladesh and the United States on the proposed agreement.

The Bangladesh side said it attaches great importance to its relationship with the United States and is keen to deepen bilateral ties through wider and more forward-looking cooperation.

Admiral Koehler said Bangladesh and the United States have many opportunities to work together and expressed hope that relations between the two countries would continue to grow stronger.

He also highly praised Bangladesh's contribution to United Nations peacekeeping operations in Africa.

The Prime Minister said Bangladesh has always stood for peace across the world.

Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir, Defence Adviser Brig Gen (Retd) Dr AKM Shamsul Islam, US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen, Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Tareq Md Ariful Islam, Director General of the North America Wing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other senior officials attended the meeting.