ZCZC
BSS-38
PM-KSA-VISIT
PM leaves for KSA tomorrow
DHAKA, Oct 15, 2018 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will leave here for Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) tomorrow on a four-day bilateral visit at the invitation of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
“The Prime Minister will have an audience with the Saudi King in Riyadh on October 17,” Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali told journalists at a briefing at the state guest house Padma here this afternoon.
During the visit, the foreign minister said two agreements- MoU on Defence cooperation between Bangladesh and KSA and MoU on ICT cooperation- would be signed.
Ali said the issue of safe repatriation of Rohingyas will also be discussed during the meeting.
Apart from the defence cooperation and Rohingya matters, the issues related to labour welfare, promotion of bilateral trade and investment, development cooperation and greater unity and prosperity of Muslim Ummah are expected to be discussed during the meeting of the two leaders, he said.
The foreign minister said the defence ties between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia has been expanding side by side with religious, political, economic and cultural relations.
Bangladesh joined the Saudi-led Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) and took participation in a month-long joint military exercise, organized by Saudi Arabia named Gulf Shield-I this year.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina attended the parade and concluding ceremony of the Gulf Shield-I in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Saudi King on April 16 last.
The foreign minister hoped that the visit will further strengthen the relations between Bangladesh and KSA in the days to come.
In the afternoon of October 17, Ali said, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the newly-built own building of Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh. Besides, she is expected to attend a business seminar, to be organized by Council of Saudi Chambers on the same day.
On that night, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will go to Madina and offer prayers at the Rawdah Mubarak of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in the morning of October 18, Ali said.
After that the Prime Minister will go to Makkah and perform Umrah Hajj there.
The Premier will also lay foundation stone of new own building for the Bangladesh consulate in Jeddah.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to return home on October 19.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam and Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque were also present at the briefing.
BSS/ASG/TA/KU/1910 HRS