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Prime Minister Tarique Rahman attended 10 major engagements on the first day of his visit to New York for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, reflecting what his adviser and Prime Minister’s Office spokesperson Mahdi Amin described as a “360-degree diplomatic and economic strategy”.
Mahdi made the remarks at a press briefing at the Bangladesh Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York on Tuesday evening.
He said the government’s main objective was to give the highest priority to the interests of the people while enhancing Bangladesh’s image and dignity in the international arena.
The prime minister had 12 engagements scheduled for the first day of his four-day official visit to the United States but attended 10 of them in person due to time constraints. His activities began at 8am and continued until around 8pm, Mahdi said.
Tarique’s first-day programme included the opening session of the UN General Assembly’s high-level General Debate, bilateral and regional meetings, and discussions with development partners on Bangladesh’s economic and development priorities.
He also held meetings with the prime ministers of Bhutan and Haiti, the vice-president of the Maldives and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Discussions covered regional cooperation, connectivity, tourism, education, healthcare and the Rohingya crisis.
The prime minister also attended a breakfast hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres for heads of delegation and their spouses. His wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman, accompanied him at the event.
Later in the day, Tarique and Zubaida attended a dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump.
According to Mahdi, the first day’s engagements also included a meeting with the World Bank, where Bangladesh’s priorities in education, healthcare, employment, investment, trade, economic liberalisation and budget support were discussed.
Mahdi said the engagements demonstrated Bangladesh’s efforts to strengthen diplomatic relations, regional cooperation, humanitarian initiatives and development partnerships.
