JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) and the Bangladesh air force (BAF) leadership participated in Airman-to-Airman (A2A) talks at Air Headquarters of the Bangladesh Air Force, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Aug. 1-2, 2018.

A2A talks allow airmen to meet face-to-face to discuss common regional challenges, which fosters military-to-military relationships and paves the way for future collaboration between the two nations.

“The United States Air Force and Bangladesh air force have various areas of cooperation, and we take it further, one step ahead every time we meet,” said Bangladesh air force Air Commodore M Sayed Hossain, director of air training for the Bangladesh air force.

The goal of the two-day conference was to synchronize the two air forces’ engagements by shaping focus areas, prioritizing mutual areas of cooperation, and solidifying exercise planning dates to further enable the development of the bilateral relationship.

“The commencement of the staff talks mutually benefitted both countries and we hope the engagements continue to grow many times over in the future,” Hossain said.

This was the third time the two air forces have met for A2A talks and the first time the talks were hosted by the Bangladesh air force. The next A2A talks are planned to be held next year at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

“I want to extend my appreciation for the outstanding hospitality extended to the U.S. delegation,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. James Eifert, Air National Guard Assistant to the Commander, Pacific Air Forces. “The Airman-to-Airman talks is a forum which enables a successful partnership and contributes towards mutual understanding in the professional arena.”