MARRAKECH, MOROCCO: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was given red carpet reception after she had arrived here on a three-day official visit to Morocco to attend the 22nd Conference of the Parties (COP-22) of UNFCCC.

COP-22 of the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), also known as global climate summit, is being held in Marrakech, a former imperial city in western Morocco.

A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, carrying the premier and her 58-member entourage, landed at Menara Airport around 4.45 pm local time.

Morocco’s national education and vocational training minister Rachid Belmokhtar Benabdellah, Bangladesh ambassador in Morocco Sultana Laila Hossain and high ups of the embassy and Morocco government received the premier at the airport.

The Prime Minister was also given a guard of honour.

After the reception at the airport, Sheikh Hasina was taken to Hotel La Mamounia where she will be staying during her visit.

Earlier, the VVIP jet of Bangladesh Biman left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport with the premier and her entourage aboard at 10:15 am Bangladesh time.

The climate summit will be attended by 197 country Parties including more than 50 head of governments and states.

On Tuesday morning (November 15), Sheikh Hasina will attend the opening session of the High-level Segment of COP-22.

Later in the afternoon, she will deliver her statement at the joint high-level segment of COP-22, CMP 12 (12th Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol) and CMA 1 (1st Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement).

Foreign minister AH Mahmood Ali, environment and forest minister Anwar Hossain and water resources minister Anisul Islam Mahmud, among others, are accompanying the premier in Morocco.

Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to return home on November 16.
** PM leaves for Morocco

BDST: 0937 HRS, NOV 15, 2016
SR