PM off to Germany

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka this morning for a one-week visit to Germany and United Arab Emirates (UAE) to attend an international security conference in Germany’s Munich and a defense exhibition in UAE’s Abu Dhabi where she would also hold bilateral talks with the leaders of Middle Eastern nation.

A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the premier and her entourage members took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for Munich at 8:20am.

Ministers, advisers to the premier, cabinet secretary, chiefs of the three services, the dean of the diplomatic corps and high civil and military officials were present at the airport to see the prime minister off.

The flight is scheduled to reach Munich International Airport at 1:15pm, Munich time.

The two-day Munich Security Conference begins in Munich on February 14, where the premier has several other engagements including meetings with leading business conglomerates and health campaigners.

Sheikh Hasina will visit Abu Dhabi from February 17 to 19 to attend the 14th International Defence Exhibition (IDEX-2019) and hold bilateral talks with the UAE leaders.

Hours after reaching Munich, Sheikh Hasina will attend a community reception to be organized by Bangladesh Mission in Germany at Hotel Sheraton where she would stay during the visit.

The premier will attend the opening ceremony of the Security Conference tomorrow, deliver a statement and take part in a discussion on defense cooperation.

Sheikh Hasina is also scheduled to join a roundtable titled “Health in Crisis-WHO cares” to be hosted by Center for Strategies and International Studies and World Health Organisation (WHO).

She will also hold a meeting with Noble laureate 2017 Beatrice Fihn, who is the executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons and with Dr Fatou Bensouda, a top Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In the afternoon the prime minister will hold meetings with Joe Kaeser, President and CEO of Siemens AG and Hans Wolfgang Kunz, CEO of Veridos.

She will join a dinner to be hosted jointly by Borge Brende, President of the World Economic Forum, and Jared Cohen, CEO of Jigsaw.

On February 16, the prime minister will join a panel discussion on “Climate Change as a Security Threat”.

From Munich Sheikh Hasina will arrive Abu Dhabi in the morning on February 17 and attend the opening session of the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX-2019) at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC).

During the visit the premier is likely to hold meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and bilateral talks with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai and other leaders.

Sheikh Hasina will have an audience with Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi, Wife of Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Founder and the Inaugural President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi at Al Bahar Palace. The prime minister will join a community event to be held at St Regis Abu Dhabi Hotel where she will stay during the visit.

Sheikh Hasina will return home in the morning on February 20.