Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s scheduled visit to Paris, France to attend ‘Leaders’ Forum’ to be hosted by Unesco on November 16-17 remained ‘unchanged’ so far despite major terror attacks there that killed over 150 innocent people and injured many more, reports UNB. “So far I know, the visit plan still remains unchanged,” a senior official at the Foreign Ministry said yesterday. The Prime Minister is scheduled to leave Dhaka on Monday. Earlier, Unesco Director General Irina Bokova invited Bangladesh Prime Minister to address the Forum, the official said. On November 16, Unesco will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the adoption of its Constitution. To highlight this event, the organisation will convene the Leaders’ Forum of the General Conference, to coincide with its landmark celebrations. This high-level event will be reserved for keynote addresses by heads of state and government of member states, who will be invited to share their visions for Unesco and its place in the multilateral arena today and in the future, as it celebrates 70 years of action and as the international community moves to implement the new global sustainable development agenda. During her forthcoming visit to France, if not changed at the last moment, the Prime Minister will meet Bangladesh envoys posted in European countries on November 17 in Paris in an effort to boost Bangladesh’s ties with Europe.
“The conference is on November 17 for envoys in Europe. The idea came from no one other than our Prime Minister,” a diplomat told UNB preferring not to be named. He said this, as per his understanding, is ‘fairly a routine work’ in case of some other countries. “Other countries also organise such envoys’ conference on a regular basis.” Meanwhile, the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2015) will be held in Malta on November 27-29.