PM off to Italy to attend UN Food Systems Summit

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday left Dhaka for Rome, Italy on a three-day official visit to attend UN Food Systems Summit+2 Stocktaking Moment.

A regular commercial flight of Qatar Airways, carrying the premier and her entourage members, took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at 05:05am, PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told BSS.

The flight is scheduled to land at Rome Fiumicino Airport of Italy at 02:05pm local time (06:05pm BST) after making around one hour stopover at Hamad International Airport in Doha of Qatar.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is joining the United Nations Food Systems+2 Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+2) conference at the invitation of the United Nations (UN) Secretary General António Guterres.

The UNFSS+2 conference will be held at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Italy on July 24-26 with the theme “Sustainable Food Systems for People, Planet and Prosperity: Diverse Pathways in a Shared Journey”.

In a media briefing on July 20, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said two Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) – “Cooperation in the Field of Energy” and “Cultural Exchange Programme” – are likely to be signed between Bangladesh and Italy.

He said the prime minister is scheduled to address the official opening of the conference at the FAO Headquarters as the Special Guest Speaker on July 24.

Heads of state, heads of government, agriculture specialists, food producers, scientists, researchers and other stakeholders from different countries will attend the forum.

After the opening ceremony, the premier will participate in the plenary session titled “Food Systems and Climate Action”.

On the evening of the same day, she will also join the inaugural ceremony of Bangladesh-Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Room in FAO headquarters.

FAO Director General Qu Dongyu and President of International Fund of Agricultural Development (IFAD) Alvaro Lario will also pay courtesy call on the prime minister.

On July 25, the prime minister will attend the “Regional Envoys Conference” organised by Bangladesh ambassadors stationed in 15 European countries.

In addition, Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with her Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni and the MoUs will be signed there.

She will also join a community reception hosted by the expatriate Bangladeshi in Italy.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder, members of parliament and government high officials will join the UNFSS+2 as prime minister’s entourage members.

The prime minister is scheduled to leave Rome for home on July 26.

UNFSS+2 is commencing with the aim of reviewing the progress of the implementation of the recommendations adopted at the “United Nations Food Systems Summit” held on September 23, 2021.

During the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit, the prime minister joined virtually and proposed five point recommendations.

Source: BSS