Dhaka-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina leaves here for Goa on Sunday morning to attend the Bimstec Outreach Summit which the host country India considers as a ‘significant’ event.Prime Minister Hasina will join the meeting at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, the Foreign Ministry said here on Saturday.
The theme of the Summit is ‘A partnership in Opportunities’ and the Outreach Summit is being organised on the sidelines of BRICS Summit that began on Saturday.
Heads of states and government of other Bimstec member states will also attend the Outreach Summit.
During the visit, the Prime Minister will have a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Before the talks, she will attend dinner to be hosted for Bimstec leaders.
The bilateral meeting is likely to last for 30 minutes from 9pm to 9:30pm on Sunday that will cover the whole range of bilateral issues; an official said quoting the programme schedule.
The Prime Minister is likely to meet some world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, but those schedules are yet to be finalised.
Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Principal Secretary M Abul Kalam Azad and Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque, among others, will be accompanying her as her entourage.
Earlier on Friday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the first-ever Bimstec outreach meeting with its leaders will be a significant event and hoped that it will yield dividends for all.
“The outreach with Bimstec leaders is significant. We hope to tap the huge potential for cooperation and the dividends this will bring,” he tweeted.
Modi, in separate tweets, said India is facilitating an outreach Summit with Bimstec leaders of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
The Prime Minister along with her entourage will leave for India by a VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines at 8 am and reach Goa Naval Airport around 10:30 am.
Indian Minister of Science and Technology Alina Saldanha, Secretary (Cooperation) Padma Jaiswal, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India Syed Moazzem Ali and Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Mumbai Samina Naz will receive her at Goa.
She will be given static guard and pass through a cultural programme.
The Prime Minister will attend lunch to be hosted by Goa Chief Minister Lakshmikant Parsekar at Jamawar Terrace.
She will also attend retreat meeting of the Bimstec leaders which will be held at 3:45pm to 4:30pm.
The Prime Minister will return home at 10:45 am on Monday.
