Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka for Rome today (July 23) at an invitation of the United Nation Secretary-General to attend the UN Food Systems Summit to be held in Rome on July 24-26.

The summit titled ‘United Nations Food Systems +2 Stocktaking Moment’ (UNFSS+2) will be held at the Headquarters of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) with the theme of ‘Sustainable Food Systems for People, Planet and Prosperity: Diverse Pathways in a Shared Journey.’

Sheikh Hasina and her entourage left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 5:05 am and she is scheduled to reach Rome around 2 pm local time after a stopover in Doha.

During her stay in Italy, she will also sit in a bilateral meeting with her Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni.

Deputy leader of parliament Matia Chowdhury, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Mahbub Ali, Cabinet Secretary, Principal Secretary, Prime Minister's Press Secretary, and heads of three forces, among others, were present at the airport to see the Premier off.

On July 24, the Bangladesh Prime Minister will address the inaugural session of the summit as a special guest. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres, among others, is expected to speak at the event, according to sources concerned.

Then Sheikh Hasina will attend a plenary session on food systems and climate action at FAO headquarters, join a regional envoy conference, which will be held with participation of 15 Bangladeshi envoys stationed in Europe on the same day.

On July 25, the Bangladesh prime minister will have a bilateral meeting with her Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni.

Two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on ‘cooperation in the field of energy’ and ‘cultural exchange programme’ are expected to be signed between the two countries during her visit to Italy.

Sheikh Hasina is expected to return home on July 26.

BDST: 0845 HRS, JULY 23, 2023
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