IAEA Meet: PM flies to Vienna today
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina leaves Dhaka for Vienna this morning to attend a conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) tomorrow.
In the two-day conference on May 29-30, in her speech, she will highlight the IAEA's technical cooperation that helps Bangladesh achieve sustainable development.
The conference, organised to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the nuclear watchdog of the United Nations, IAEA, will discuss how the nuclear technologies can contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
At a press briefing at the foreign ministry yesterday, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali said besides taking part in the conference, the PM would also hold bilateral talks with
Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern tomorrow afternoon. The talks are expected to conclude with the signing of a deal and issuance of joint press statement.
After the meeting with her Austrian counterpart, Hasina will also hold a meeting with President of Austria Alexander Van Der Bellen on the day at 3:30pm (Austrian time).
Agriculture and livestock cooperation and starting of direct flight and holding of regular diplomatic consultations will be some of the areas the PM will discuss, apart from trade, investment and sustainable development, the foreign minister said.
Global terrorism, migration, refugee crisis, climate change and post-Brexit Europe situation are some of the international issues they will also talk about. An MoU on foreign office consultations is expected to be inked after the bilateral talks with the Austrian chancellor, Mahmood added.
A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the PM and her 60-member entourage will depart Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 9:00am and reach Vienna International Airport at 2:45pm.
"Her participation will reaffirm and consolidate Bangladesh's strong position towards world peace, disarmament, curbing spread of all types of nuclear weapons and brighten the image of Bangladesh in the international arena as Bangladesh always pursues peaceful use of atomic power,” the foreign minister said.
In 1972, Bangladesh became a member of the IAEA, which has now 168 member states.
Leaders from Africa, Asia, Europe, South America and Caribbean will attend the conference titled “International Conference on the Technical Cooperation Programme: Sixty Years and Beyond – Contributing to Development”.
Hasina along with presidents of Uruguay and Mauritius and high UN officials will address the opening session of the conference at 9:30am tomorrow which is expected to provide an opportunity to demonstrate how IAEA's programme can best contribute to the development and attainment of SDGs.
The PM will also hold a meeting with Director General of IAEA Yukiya Amano, who has invited her to the conference.
Hasina will leave Vienna tomorrow evening and return to Dhaka on Wednesday morning.
Foreign minister and minister for science and technology will accompany the PM.
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