Samad Azad to visit China Jan 20

Foreign Minister Abdus Samad Azad will pay a five-day official visit to China beginning January 20, reports APB.

During the visit, Dhaka and Beijing will sign an agreement under which China will provide 24 million dollar interest-free loan to Bangladesh.

The amount will be utilised for construction of a conference centre to hold the NAM summit in 2001.

Azad will hold official talks with his Chinese counterpart Tang Jiaxuan that will cover the entire gamut of bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of common concern, Foreign Ministry officials said yesterday.

Besides, he is expected to call on Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Prime Minister Zhu Ronji.

This will be the first official trip of Azad to China as the Foreign Minister.