BSS-56 C’wealth Secretary General to leave here tomorrow

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BSS-56

C’WEALTH-SG

C’wealth Secretary General to leave here tomorrow

DHAKA, August 09, 2018 (BSS)-Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland QC will leave here tomorrow wrapping up her three-day working tour.

She arrived here with a four-member delegation on August 8. This is a part of her first official visit to the three Asian Commonwealth member states in Asia Sri Lanka, Brunei and Bangladesh, said a press release.

She started her first day in Bangladesh with taking part in a seminar at Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) where she gave a talk as a Guest of Honour on the topic of ‘The Commonwealth Advantage: Progress and Potential’.

Foreign Minister A. H. Mahmood Ali and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam highlighted their ideas on what kind of Commonwealth Bangladesh would like to see with Commonwealth reform and touched upon the programs and priorities preferred by Bangladesh in the seminar.

After the seminar, she attended a special session on Ocean Governance and Blue Economy which was held in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the afternoon where in Foreign Secretary Md. Shahidul Haque, Secretary Maritime Affairs Unit Rear Admiral Md. Khurshed Alam (Retd.) and senior officials from concerned ministries of the Government were present and discussed cooperation in developing Blue Economy of Bangladesh.

She called on the Foreign Minister A H Mahmood Ali M.P. where they covered Commonwealth issues and matters of Bangladesh-Commonwealth bilateral interests.

Commonwealth’s cooperation and partnership in wide ranging areas came into discussion. They agreed to enhance cooperation and stressed the use of Commonwealth advantages.

The meeting was followed by an official dinner hosted by Foreign Minister Ali in honour of the Secretary General and attended by a number of Ministers, officials of the Government and Civil societies.

The Secretary General also called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office on August 9.

Trade and investment facilitations, Blue Economy, forcibly displaced Rohingas from Rakhaine State, SME & Women Entrepreneurship, empowerment of women and youth, Commonwealth sports for development & peace, best practices sharing and Commonwealth cooperation figured in the discussion during the courtesy call.

She also met Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs and other senior ministers on the same day.

Earlier in the morning she paid a visit to Bangabandhu Memorial Museum.

BSS/PR/TAN/KU/1947 HRS