BANGLADESH FM WELCOMES MEETING WITH SECRETARY,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 000831

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/INSB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL ETRD ECON EAIR PHUM BG
SUBJECT: BANGLADESH FM WELCOMES MEETING WITH SECRETARY,
"CONVERGENCE" ON COUNTER TERRORISM, WOMEN'S ISSUES,
GOVERNANCE

REF: DHAKA 739

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JAMES F. MORIARTY REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)

SUMMARY
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1. (C) Foreign Minister Dipu Moni welcomed the opportunity
to meet with the Secretary on September 16 in Washington. In
a wide-ranging conversation August 20, the Ambassador pushed
Moni on bilateral issues, including high-profile commercial
advocacy cases, and outlined U.S. objectives on human rights,
counter-terrorism and women's issues in advance of the FM's
Washington visit. Moni deflected the Ambassador's pressing
for Government of Bangladesh (GOB) recognition of Kosovo,
which he also raised in comments to press following the
meeting with the FM (septel).

Looking Forward to S Meeting
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2. (C) Ambassador Moriarty called on Foreign Minister Dipu
Moni to convey the Secretary's offer to meet in Washington in
mid-September. Moni welcomed the proposed meeting, recalling
with evident fondness their previous interactions. Moni
hoped to capitalize on the Secretary's personal and
professional interest in Bangladesh and South Asia to advance
shared U.S.-GOB objectives like women's empowerment,
combating violent extremism, good governance and
anti-corruption. Moni welcomed the establishment of a
Bangladeshi diaspora foundation in the U.S. that would
supplement official and commercial exchanges between the two
countries. She looked forward to discussing the concept
further in Washington.

"Convergence" of U.S. and GOB Objectives
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3. (C) Moni hailed the "convergence" of the current U.S.
and Bangladesh administrations, saying both were elected to
follow through on strong mandates for change. Moni hailed
President Obama's Cairo speech, describing the response in
Bangladesh and throughout the world as "phenomenal." Moni
said the U.S. had always been supportive of Bangladesh, most
recently supporting the restoration of democracy. Moni
conceded that Bangladesh had problems, but recalled
Bangladesh's positive contributions through peace-keeping and
through "7.5 million Bangladeshis working in countries all
around the world."

Commercial Issues: Closing the Deal
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4. (C) The Ambassador encouraged Moni to push for GOB
resolution of a number of outstanding decisions regarding
high-profile commercial issues. Moni said she had recently
approached Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina about Coca-Cola's
plans to construct a bottling plant; the PM had been
supportive and hoped that Coca-Cola executives would soon
visit Bangladesh for meetings with the Foreign, Commerce, and
Industry Ministers. When the Ambassador highlighted the lack
of progress by the GOB on Biman Airlines' proposed package
with Boeing (reftel),Moni expressed surprise that the GOB
risked losing its JFK landing rights if flights did not
resume by November. Moni said her government would approve
Conoco Phillips' request to move ahead with exploration on
two of the eight blocks for which it had bid successfully,
while the GOB reviewed the border disputes affecting the
remaining six blocks.

Blaming the Bureaucrats
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5. (C) Moni said she and other members of the cabinet
supported these U.S.-partnered projects and were working to
move them forward. She complained, however, that bureaucrats
reluctant to take high-profile commercial decisions were
hamstringing the government. The overly aggressive
anti-corruption drive of the Caretaker Government, Moni
argued, had scared the bureaucrats into paralysis. Moni
assured the Ambassador that the GOB remained open to foreign
investment, pointing out that she had recently attended the
public launch of a factory producing Disney-licensed products.

Comment: Moni's Tenure is an Opportunity for the U.S.
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6. (C) An articulate lawyer, physician and mother of two,

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Moni is an effective emissary for Bangladesh and a promising
partner for the U.S. on issues ranging from women's rights to
countering violent extremism. Moni's legal training and
medical credentials -as well as her gender- gave Moni
unparalleled access to PM Sheikh Hasina while the PM was
imprisoned during the Caretaker Government. This shared
experience has translated into continuing access and
influence for the Foreign Minister now that Sheikh Hasina is
in power. Post will work with the Department to recommend
how we might capitalize on Moni's visit to advance U.S.
objectives in Bangladesh and beyond.
MORIARTY