PM leaves for Italy

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today left Dhaka for Rome on a four-day official visit to Italy at the invitation of her Italian counterpart Giuseppe Conte.

During the visit, the prime minister will hold a bilateral meeting with Giuseppe Conte on February 5.

A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the premier and her entourage members took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) for Italian capital of Rome in the morning.

The flight is scheduled to land at Fiumicino Airport, Rome at 4:15 pm local time where Minister Plenipotentiary of Italian Foreign Ministry Cristiano Cottafavi and Bangladesh Ambassador to Italy Abdus Sobhan Sikder will receive the premier.

After the reception at the airport, a ceremonial motorcade will escort the Bangladesh prime minister to Parco dei Principi Grand Hotel & Spa, where she will be staying during her visit to the Italian capital.

Sheikh Hasina will attend a reception to be accorded in her honour at Parco dei Principi Grand Hotel & Spa in the evening.

On February 5, she will inaugurate the Chancery Building of Bangladesh Embassy in Rome in Via Dell’Antartide area in the morning.

In the afternoon, the prime minister will hold bilateral talks with Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte and join an official lunch at Palazzo Chigi, the official residence of the Italian prime minister.

The two leaders, in their summit meeting, are expected to discuss the whole range of bilateral issues as well as important regional and international matters of common concern.

Later, representatives of the Italian business companies will call on the Bangladesh prime minister at the meeting room of her place of residence.

The prime minister will then attend a dinner to be hosted by the Bangladesh ambassador to Italy at Parco dei Principi Grand Hotel & Spa.

On February 6, Sheikh Hasina will have an audience with Pope Francis in the morning.

Then the prime minister will depart Rome for the Italian city of Milan by train at 12:50 pm and reach there at 4 pm local time.

She will stay at Excelsior Hotel Gallia during the visit to Milan.

On February 7, the prime minister will leave Milan Malpensa International Airport for home by an Emirates flight at 1:40 pm local time.

She will reach Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka at 8:10 am Bangladesh time on February 8 via Dubai.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has said three bilateral instruments are likely to be signed between Dhaka and Rome during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Italy.

“There are three draft agreements in their (Italy) hand … if they can finalize by this time … those (agreements) will be inked during the visit,” he told a press briefing on the premier’s visit at the foreign ministry here on Sunday.

The proposed deals are on cultural exchange, political consultations and cooperation in the diplomatic field, Momen added.

Pointing out that it is the maiden bilateral visit of the Bangladesh premier to any European country after assuming office for the third consecutive term, the foreign minister hoped that the tour will be beneficial for Bangladesh economy and its ongoing development.

“We’re considering the visit as highly important as it involves the search for fresh investment by Italian entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, export of more items to Italy as well as seeking areas to export skilled manpower,” he said.

Italy is one of the largest trading partners of Bangladesh and more than 200,000 Bangladeshis live there.