Ambassador Thomas Shannon, Counselor of the Department of State, will arrive in Sri Lanka on December 14, the US State Department said. He will be arriving in the island following a trip to Bangladesh.

Shannon will be accompanied by Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal in Bangladesh and Deputy Assistant Secretary for South Asia Manpreet Singh Anand in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

In Bangladesh, Ambassador Shannon will meet with senior government and parliamentary leaders, as well as media, civil society, and labor representatives, and will visit a USAID-funded healthcare clinic. His trip will highlight the strength and durability of the U.S.-Bangladesh relationship and continued gains to be made in security, trade, development, the environment, and countering violent extremism.

In Sri Lanka, Ambassador Shannon will meet with senior government and parliamentary leaders, business leaders, and civil society, as well as tour a USAID-funded livelihoods project in the Eastern Province. During his visit, Ambassador Shannon will reaffirm U.S. support for Sri Lanka’s reform agenda and explore greater cooperation in development, security, economic growth, and regional connectivity.

Shannon will leave the island on December 16.