PM leaves for Belgium Tuesday on a significant EU visit

PM leaves for Belgium Tuesday on a significant EU visit

Dhaka, Oct 23 - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to leave here for Brussels on Tuesday morning on a three-day official visit to Belgium to attend the "Global Gateway Forum" to be held there on October 25-26.

She is going to Brussels at the invitation of the European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen.

"A commercial flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the prime minister and her entourage members will depart from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), Dhaka," said Prime Minister's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim.

The flight is scheduled to land at Brussels Zaventem Airport at 6:45pm local time (October 24).

Her visit is seen as extremely significant as it would help take Bangladesh’s ties with the European Union (EU) to a new height, said Foreign Minister  AK Abdul Momen at a press briefing on Monday.

“This is a very significant visit and an achievement for us,” he said, noting that the visit is happening at a “crucial moment.”

During the visit, the Prime Minister will have a number of meetings with leaders of European countries on the sidelines of the forum.

On October 25 (Wednesday), the premier will hold separate bilateral meetings with EC President Ursula von der Leyen and EC Executive Vice President and European Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.

After the meetings, the Bangladesh Prime Minister along with the EC President and the European Investment Bank (EIB) President will witness the signing of loan agreement with the government of Bangladesh and the EIB. The EU will provide Euro 407 million to Bangladesh in the form of concessional loans and grants. Of this, Euro 350 million will be concessional loans.

On the same day, Sheikh Hasina will attend the Global Gateway Forum's opening plenary session and deliver her speech.

She will have a meeting with EIB President Dr. Werner Hoyer in the afternoon.

Besides, EC Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic and EC Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen will call on the Bangladesh premier.

In the evening, the PM will attend a dinner to be hosted by EC President Leyen in honor of the heads of state and government participating in the Global Gateway Forum.

On October 26 (Thursday), the Bangladesh Prime Minister will hold a bilateral meeting with her Belgian counterpart Alexander De Croo.

The premier will also hold a meeting with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.

In the afternoon, Sheikh Hasina will attend a community reception to be  accorded to her by Bangladeshi expatriates living in Belgium.

On October 27 (Friday), the Prime Minister is scheduled to return home, leaving Brussels at 10:00pm on Thursday local time.-UNB