Ambassador Bill Richardson, Departure Press Conference, Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 14, 1998

The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/all/20040626132615/http://www.un.int:80/usa/98_71.htm

USUN PRESS RELEASE #71 (98)
April 15, 1998

Ambassador Bill Richardson, United States Representative to the United Nations, in a Departure Press Conference, Together with Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Karl Inderfurth, and National Security Council Adviser on South Asia Bruce Riedel, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 14, 1998

[Transcript begins]

AMBASSADOR HOLZMAN: I wanted to say at the outset that we're very pleased that Ambassador Richardson and his team were able to come here. It really was a wonderful visit. And most importantly, of course, Ambassador Richardson was able to announce that President Clinton will visit Bangladesh later this year. But also, Ambassador Richardson had very good meetings with the prime minister, the opposition leader, and he had a chance to address the theme of civil society of Bangladesh during his speech at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies. But I would like Ambassador Richardson to talk about his visit and to answer your questions.

AMBASSADOR RICHARDSON: Shuvo Nabo Barsho. (Laughter). This means "Happy Bengali New Year" for those of you who do not understand me. I wanted to come to Bangladesh at the beginning of our visit to South Asia because I have a deep personal commitment to Bangladesh, its people, and its progress towards democracy. I'm leading a delegation which includes Ambassador Inderfurth, head of the State Department's Bureau of South Asian Affairs, who is on my left, and Bruce Riedel, President Clinton's advisor for South Asian affairs. Other members of my delegation include experts from my mission at the United Nations and the State Department. And from Dhaka we will travel to India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand for meetings on the situation in Cambodia.

At the outset I would like to thank Foreign Minister Azad, my good friend, and Kaiser Chowdhury for the assistance both have given me and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in arranging our meetings and our stay here. I also want to thank the Foreign Secretary for his help in our schedule. It has been an excellent schedule. During my brief stay I have met with President Shahabuddin, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and Begum Zia. I also had a chance to see the great work of the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association at their rehabilitation center for the victims of women and child trafficking, and to give a speech at the Bangladesh Institute for International and Strategic Studies. We also visited a village where we saw the excellent work of the Grameen Bank.

During my first visit I was struck by the vibrancy and resourcefulness of the people here. On this, my fourth visit to Bangladesh, I see the progress you have made in developing your economy and your democracy. I have seen first hand the remarkable activity of private citizens and members of non-governmental organizations. In meetings, I was pleased to deliver the message that President Clinton and Mrs. Clinton will travel to Bangladesh this fall when he visits South Asia. His visit is an important sign of the deepening and maturing relations between the United States and Bangladesh, and points to the emphasis the President places on strengthening the ties between the United States and the nations of South Asia. I am proud to be a part of the dynamic relationship between Bangladesh and the United States. As a member of the U.S. Congress and now as ambassador to the United Nations, I want to note that the way forward in our relationship is through strengthening economic and commercial ties. I am pleased that we have more trade and investment--$200 million between American firms and Bangladesh as of this moment. We should do better. We already cooperate closely at the United Nations on the need for reforms and peacekeeping issues, and we will continue to do so.

The importance of Bangladesh, the signal Bangladesh sends to the international community, is that it is a democracy, a democracy in a Third World Muslim nation. Most countries as they start out on a democratic path have trouble working out their democratic systems. Not Bangladesh. Bangladesh has been active in promoting democratic institutions, free elections, and the principles of democracy. This is why I and my delegation came here, to show support for Bangladesh's democracy, and its efforts to make democracy even better. My main message to the political parties is accommodation, compromise, and rely on the rule of law. Accommodation, compromise, and reliance on the rule of law. That is our message here. We go on to other parts of the subcontinent with deep affection for the people of Bangladesh.

AMBASSADOR INDERFURTH: Our position on PL 480 is one of sympathy. We understand the concerns that this debt causes Bangladesh. And for that reason we are very sympathetic toward trying to find some solution. And we have cautioned that solutions are not easy to find where money is involved, and certainly this would require an appropriation from Congress. There are some possible avenues that are being explored, including with Congressman Bereuter and the Congress. The "Tropical Forest Initiative" perhaps will over time provide some recourse. We are aware of the issue, we are sympathetic, but there are no easy answers.

QUESTION: What are the business prospects of U.S. companies in Bangladesh, and did your mission have anything to do with promoting them? My second question is: would you kindly elaborate on how the U.S. is going to cooperate in the extradition of the accused killers of the founding father? This issue I understand was discussed with the prime minister.

AMBASSADOR RICHARDSON: Well, part of this mission too is to promote American trade and investment. We think that one way in which we strengthen ties with Bangladesh is to have more trade and investment with Bangladesh. I mentioned earlier that investment now exceeds $200 million. We are particularly interested in the energy and power sector. There has been good cooperation there. We want to see more cooperation. Our firms, our technology is good. We have been submitting some good bid proposals that are competitive. We hope the government actively considers American firms that have a good history here, a good record. So this mission is to promote American trade and investment because that way our ties on the political front will deepen.

On the other issue, we did discuss it, and we are going to consider how to deal with this issue in the days ahead. It is very sensitive, obviously. We have our laws. Bangladesh has their laws. And you have your aspirations, and we're going to have to deal with this very carefully.

QUESTION: Mr. Richardson, how do you look at the India-Pakistan relationship with the growing tension there?

AMBASSADOR RICHARDSON: We're going to India today. In fact, we will meet with the prime minister of India sometime this morning. This is a remarkable subcontinent, full of promise. The United States is putting more emphasis in our foreign policy with South Asia. We notice that an Indo-Pakistani dialogue is taking place. There's a new government in India, an exciting new government. We look forward to pushing those ties between the United States and India and Pakistan in the days ahead and certainly in this visit. President Clinton when he comes to Bangladesh will also be going to India and Pakistan.

QUESTION: Mr. Ambassador, you have talked much about democracy in this visit to Bangladesh. You are going to India. In India, a new BJP government has been elected on the basis of nationality. Democracy requires tolerance. In the new scenario in India, how do you expect democracy to flourish?

AMBASSADOR INDERFURTH: Tolerance is a hallmark of any democratic system. And it has been a hallmark of Indian politics going back to the days of Nehru and Gandhi. We fully expect that tolerance will continue. Prime Minister Vajpayee has already said in many of his statements upon coming into office that he recognizes the diversity of India, that he recognizes the importance of providing respect and tolerance in the political system. We are very much encouraged. As Ambassador Richardson said, this is an exciting new government. We have looked forward to a new government being formed so we can get back to work on our relations with India. This is what we will do when we arrive in New Delhi later this morning.

QUESTION: I'm from VOA Washington. I interviewed you in your office when you were a Congressman. I can say that the best things I can remember anyone saying about Bangladesh from Congress was from Congressman Bill Richardson.

You have been to Bangladesh three times before. I remember once you came, stayed a few hours, and you flew back. Now, as UN Ambassador you're back here with a big delegation with Assistant Secretary Inderfurth and National Security Council Director Riedel. You've announced President Clinton's visit, a historic day for Bangladesh. My simple question is, Why? Why do you come back to Bangladesh? Why do you like Bangladesh and why are you a friend of Bangladesh? Thank you.

AMBASSADOR RICHARDSON: I like Bangladesh because of its people. I had a chance to go into the rural part of your country yesterday to a village. I had a chance to see entrepreneurship on the part of women, micro-credit enterprise in a village called Mograpara. I saw the dynamism of the people. The Bangladeshi people are very friendly. The Bangladeshis are industrious. You are going through democratic change in a very good way. I like the city of Dhaka. I like the crowds, the heat, the atmosphere. I like coming back here because I feel a very warm relationship with my friend Foreign Minister Azad who gives me flowers whenever I walk in, from my friends here that I've made over the years like "Kaiser" Chowdhury, my friend. That's the reason. There's the person who always meets me at the airport, Ashraf ad-Dowla. He's my man. So that's the reason that I like Bangladesh--because we get something done, we have a good relationship. And I love the press. You guys give us good press.

QUESTION: It seems that even until recently the visit of President Clinton to Bangladesh was highly uncertain. Even two weeks back, Ambassador Holzman said that it is "highly desirable" that President Clinton should visit Bangladesh. Yesterday, you announced the visit of President Clinton. What prompted you to announce the visit? What was the magic?

AMBASSADOR RICHARDSON: I am going to have Bruce Riedel who's the President's man say a few words on this visit, but President Clinton is coming to Bangladesh because he wants to be with Bangladesh and Bangladesh's democracy. Because Mrs. Clinton likes Bangladesh and because Bangladesh is important. He is coming. He will be here. He looks forward to it. And now let me give you the President's man for any further details.

MR. RIEDEL: Thank you, Mr. Ambassador. I just want also to say that this is my first visit to Bangladesh. I have been tremendously impressed by what I saw here. I'm looking forward to reporting to the President the creativity, the energy, the dynamism that he will find here when he comes to Bangladesh for the first time. President Clinton has a very special vision of the future of American relations with South Asia in general and Bangladesh in particular. He believes that South Asia will be one of the most important parts of the world in the 21st century. He believes it is vitally important that the United States and South Asia engage deeply and broadly in the years ahead to prepare ourselves for the 21st century. We want to have a relationship in every possible sector--political, economic, security--in order to do better things for our people at home in the United States and for the people of South Asia. He's looking forward very enthusiastically to his visit later this year.

QUESTION: You know the Oslo agreement in the Middle East has almost reached the point of failure. Will the United States change its policy in the Middle East? How do you look at the issue?

AMBASSADOR RICHARDSON: Our Middle East policy is working. We're pushing the dialogue between the two parties. There are proposals on the table. We are not discouraged. We are moving forward.

QUESTION: You have been praising Bangladesh's democracy, but at the same time saying it is still fragile. Can you elaborate on how you can be labeling our democracy as "fragile" at the same time you are praising it?

AMBASSADOR RICHARDSON: Every democracy goes through difficult periods. What I'm saying here in Bangladesh is that it is important to enhance democracy further, that there be compromise, that there be accommodation, that there should be respect for democratic institutions, and the rule of law. That's all I'm saying. That's my message here.

Dec	JUN	Aug
	26
2003	2004	2005