Prime Minister Tareque Rahman will visit Turkey in November to attend the upcoming United Nations climate conference, COP.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir disclosed the information at a meeting with Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Musa Kulaklikaya on the sidelines of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) 23rd Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
At the meeting Thursday, representatives of the two countries exchanged views on various regional situations. They also expressed interest in working closely together on issues of mutual concern.
Bilateral relations were also discussed at the meeting. Both sides expressed satisfaction with existing cooperation in areas including the economy and defense, and voiced a shared interest in broadening engagement between the two countries and elevating bilateral relations to a new level.
Diplomatic sources say preparations for the prime minister’s visit are already under way. As a country vulnerable to climate change, Bangladesh’s head of government has traditionally attended the COP summit, and this year will be no exception.
A diplomatic source in Ankara said Prime Minister Tareque Rahman was formally invited to visit Turkey during Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s visit to Dhaka last June. Discussions are under way for the prime minister to meet with heads of participating countries on the sidelines of the summit. The diplomatic source said a meeting between Tareque Rahman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan could also take place.
If the meeting is held, discussions could cover bilateral relations between the two countries as well as various regional and international issues.
COP31 will be held in the Turkish city of Antalya from November 9 to 20. Government representatives, heads of state, and climate-related delegates from around the world are expected to attend.