President leaves for OIC summit on Jerusalem

The president and the prime minister begin their three-day separate overseas tour today. They will visit Turkey and France respectively to attend a special summit of Islamic leaders over the Jerusalem issue and a planet summit to fight against climate change.

President Abdul Hamid leaves for Istanbul tonight to attend the extraordinary leaders' summit of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) over the issue of Jerusalem, which has stoked fresh tension in the Arab-Israeli conflict following Donald Trump's contentious recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to leave for France this morning to attend the One Planet Summit, an event where global leaders will assemble for discussing funding for the fight against climate change.

She is going to Paris at the joint invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim.  The PM would reiterate Bangladesh's support for the Paris Agreement and present a positive attitude towards participating in international cooperation to address climate change.

Additionally, the PM will hold a bilateral meeting with the French President.

In another development, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım will arrive in Dhaka for a two-day official visit to Bangladesh on December 19-20.

Announcing the three visits at a press briefing, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali said Dhaka is considering the visits “significant” as these will strengthen bilateral ties and on the other hand Dhaka will be able to play an important role in the OIC and climate summits.

PRESIDENT TO VISIT TURKEY

As per the programme schedule, President Hamid will leave for Istanbul at 10:35pm today by a Turkish Airlines flight on a three-day visit to attend the special emergency Islamic leaders summit which was called by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The meeting comes at the heels of the US recognising the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital on December 6 and planning to move the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv

The President will accompany a 45-member delegation, which includes State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam and other high officials drawn from the President's Office and different ministries. Turkey holds the chairmanship of the OIC now.

The summit meeting on December 13 will be preceded by the meetings of the senior officials and foreign ministers of OIC member countries tomorrow. The President will return to Dhaka on Thursday morning.

Dhaka has already expressed deep concern at Washington's announcement and stressed on preserving the legal status of Jerusalem within the framework of relevant UN resolutions. Bangladesh also reaffirmed its position in favour of establishing the State of Palestine on the basis of the 1967 border with East Jerusalem as its capital, Foreign Minister Ali said.

PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO FRANCE

Around 50 heads of state and government are expected to participate in the summit in Paris on Tuesday, which aims to launch a new drive to mobilise money needed worldwide to combat climate change.

The French President, President of World Bank Group and the UN Secretary-General will address the summit.

They are expected to press wealthy nations to increase funding and urge investors worldwide to turn their backs on polluters in a bid to accelerate efforts to combat global warming.

US President Trump weakened the Paris Agreement in June when he said the United States, the world's second biggest greenhouse gas emitter, after China, would pull out. But other world leaders responded at the time not to give up the fight against climate change.

As per the programme schedule, an Emirates flight carrying the Prime Minister and her entourage will leave Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 9:55am today.

At a press conference, Foreign Minister Mahmood Ali said the Prime Minister and other global leaders will discuss seven specific issues, including carbon neutral alliance, alliance on boycotting coal, climate funding, said the Foreign Minister.

He hoped that the global leaders will make new commitments during the conference on climate issues.

The Prime Minister will hold a bilateral meeting with the French President tomorrow morning which will help strengthen their relations and expand areas of cooperation between the two countries. Hasina visited France in September 1999 and May 2011.

She will also join lunch to be hosted by the French President for the heads of state and government, co-organisers and VIPs of the summit at Elysee Palace.

On Tuesday evening, the Prime Minister will attend a High Level Segment of the One Planet Summit at La Seine Musicale. After returning from the Summit, the PM will join a reception of expatriate Bangladeshis at her place of residence.

The Prime Minister will return home on December 14.