PM Hasina arrives in Rome to attend UN food conference

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday arrived in Rome to attend the UN Food Systems Summit at the invitation of the UN Secretary-General.

The three-day summit will open at Italy's capital city on Monday, 24 July.

The premier and her entourage flew from Dhaka by a regular flight of Qatar Airways. It landed at Rome Fiumicino Airport at 1:40pm local time (05:40pm BST).

The flight earlier departed Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at 05:05am.

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.'

During her stay in Italy, she will also hold a bilateral meeting with her Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday, 25 July.

On Monday, PM Hasina will address the opening ceremony of the summit as a special guest. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, among others, is expected to speak at the event, said officials accompanying her.

She will then attend a plenary session on food systems and climate action at FAO headquarters, hold talks separately with FAO Director General Qu Dongyu and President of International Fund of Agricultural Development (IFAD) Alvaro Lario, join the inauguration ceremony of the Bangladesh-Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Room at the FAO headquarters and attend a reception to be hosted by the FAO Director General the same day.

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.

Besides, Hasina will join a regional envoy conference, which will be held with participation of 15 Bangladeshi envoys stationed in Europe, and a community event on Tuesday, 25 July.

Hasina is expected to leave Rome for home wrapping up her visit on Wednesday, 26 July.