U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her Bangladesh counterpart Dipu Moni met Wednesday in Washington to discuss ways to boost bilateral ties.

Before the meeting, Clinton said the Obama administration has watched with great interest efforts by the government in Dhaka to tackle poverty. She said Washington appreciates close cooperation on counterterrorism between the two countries and wants to work with Bangladesh and other countries to promote regional integration and greater economic opportunities.

Clinton also urged the Bangladeshi government to ensure freedom of the press and expressed hope the Grameen Bank, which is well recognized for what is has done to help alleviate poverty, will be able to continue to function.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Moni said her country has very effective cooperation and partnership with the United States and the two sides are working closely on all issues, including climate change, poverty alleviation, and women's empowerment.

Moni added that Bangladesh, as a secular democratic country with a free and robust media and the very vibrant civil society, looks forward to more effective cooperation with countries like the United States, which she called a “good friend and partner.”