Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus is set to meet US President Joseph R. Biden on Tuesday during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), highlighting the strengthening ties between Bangladesh and the United States. This one-on-one meeting marks a historic moment, as no US president has held such a bilateral discussion with a Bangladeshi head of government in recent decades, according to a senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
President Biden will be in New York from September 23-25 to attend the 79th session of the UNGA, where he is scheduled to address the assembly and meet with global leaders to discuss international peace, security, economic prosperity, and human rights, according to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
Prof Yunus, who is arriving in New York on Monday night, will deliver a speech at the UNGA on September 27. Upon his arrival at JFK International Airport, he will be welcomed by Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith and Salahuddin Mahmud, CDA of Bangladesh’s Embassy in Washington, D.C.
The 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner has already briefed a US delegation in Dhaka about his interim government’s swift actions in “resetting, reforming, and restarting” Bangladesh’s economy and addressing issues in the judiciary, police, and financial sectors. He sought continued US support in fostering inclusive economic growth and institutional development.
In addition to his meeting with President Biden, Prof Yunus has a busy schedule of high-level meetings with leaders from the Netherlands, Pakistan, Nepal, the European Union, and international organizations such as the World Bank and USAID. His agenda also includes attending a welcome reception hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and a side event addressing the Rohingya crisis.
Prof Yunus will also participate in a reception celebrating the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh’s membership in the UN, which he will host. There are further talks expected with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and a bilateral meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar
