The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Visiting Adjutant General for the U.S. State of Oregon and Commander of US National Guard air and ground forces for the Pacific Region Maj Gen Raymond Rees, yesterday presented a proclamation from Oregon Governor Kulongoski to Lieutenant General Md Abdul Mubeen, Principal Staff Officer, Armed Forces Division. The proclamation aims at affirming a commitment to establish a permanent partnership between the Oregon National Guard and Bangladesh under the National Guard's State Partnership Program (SPP).

According to a pres release, the National Guard's State Partnership Programme links U.S. states with foreign nations to promote and enhance bilateral relations.

The SPP not only promotes military to military relationships but also provides a vast civilian base of professionals for enhanced military to civilian and civilian-to-civilian exchanges. Under the SPP, more than 50 countries are matched with US states, it said.

The partnerships address a wide variety of shared security issues, including border security, disaster response, humanitarian assistance, combat medical training, combating illegal drugs, military support to civilian authorities, peacekeeping operations, and port security.

The new SPP is a continuation of the strong bilateral cooperation between US and Bangladesh Armed Forces, the press release added.