Momen leaves for Europe

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen yesterday left for Europe for a 10-day visit aimed at boosting cooperation on tackling the pandemic, climate change and challenges faced by migrants amid the pandemic.

He will attend the Least Developed Countries (LDC) Asia-Pacific Regional Review meeting on Monday and Tuesday in preparation for the LDC conference to be held in Doha in January, 2022.

Bangladesh, as a co-chair of the LDC, has been negotiating at the multilateral forum for several privileges, foreign ministry official said.

"There are also countries, including Bangladesh, that are graduating LDCs. We were negotiating for continuing the privileges of the LDC for 12 years after graduation in 2026. This could be an important topic in the meeting," an official said.

Besides, the minister will meet the directors general of the World Health Organization, World Trade Organization, UN Refugee Agency, UN Human Rights Council, International Organization for Migration, and International Labour Organization, officials said.

He is also likely to hold a bilateral meeting with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis.

After visiting Switzerland, Momen will visit the UK and meet his UK counterpart Dominic Raab.