US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland will travel March 19-23 to Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka with an interagency delegation to underscore US commitment to and cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners, the State Department announced.  

Under Secretary Nuland will hold Partnership Dialogues in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and Foreign Office Consultations in New Delhi.  At each stop, Nuland and the delegation will meet with civil society and business leaders to strengthen economic partnerships and deepen ties in the pursuit of peace, prosperity, and security in the Indo-Pacific region, the announcement said.

Other senior members of the delegation include Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu and Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Amanda Dory.

The visit at this time is possibly to emphasize that the US remained committed to maintaining and enhancing strategic cooperation with key players in the region and the Indo-Pacific despite its preoccupations with the Ukraine war.

(SAM)