PM leaves for Belgium tomorrow

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will leave here for Belgium tomorrow to attend the "Global Gateway Forum" to be held in its capital Brussels on 25-26 October at the invitation of the European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen.

"A commercial flight (BG 207) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the prime minister and her entourage members will depart from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), Dhaka at 11am," PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told BSS.

The flight is scheduled to arrive at the Brussels Zaventem Airport at 1845 hrs on October 24 (Brussels time).

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at a curtain raiser press briefing at his ministry said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's upcoming visit to Brussels will help take Bangladesh's ties with the European Union (EU) to a new height.

"Bangladesh and the EU are expected to announce the elevation of their 50-year partnership to a new height," he said.

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

On the morning of 25 October, she will have a bilateral meeting with the Executive Vice President of the EC and European Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.

Later, the Bangladesh premier will have a bilateral meeting with the EC President Ursula von der Leyen.

After this bilateral meeting, a loan support agreement of 350 million Euros on the renewable energy sector will be signed between the Bangladesh government's Economic Relations Department (ERD) and the European Investment Bank.

A grant agreement of 45 million Euros for Bangladesh's renewable energy sector will be signed between the European Commission and the European Investment Bank. A 12 million Euros grant agreement between the Bangladesh government and the European Commission will also be signed for Bangladesh's renewable energy sector.

During this visit, the Bangladesh government and the European Commission will sign five different grant agreements of 70 million Euros for Bangladesh's Social sectors.

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

In the afternoon, European Investment Bank President Dr Werner Hoyer will hold a meeting with the premier.

EC Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic and EC Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen will pay a courtesy call on the Bangladesh premier.

In the evening, the prime minister will attend a dinner hosted by Ursula von der Leyen in honour of the heads of state and government participating in the Global Gateway Forum.

On October 26, she will hold a bilateral meeting with her Belgian counterpart Alexander De Croo.

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

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

TV channel EURONEWS and POLITICO are scheduled to conduct an interview with PM Hasina.

She is scheduled to return home on 27 October.