PM Hasina back home ending three-day visit to Italy

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina returned home early Thursday after a three-day visit to Italy during which she attended the UN food system summit.

A regular flight of Qatar Airways, carrying the premier and her entourage members, landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at 01:50am.

Earlier, the she departed from Rome Fiumicino Airport at 09:45am local time (01:45pm BST).

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina went to Rome on June 23 to attend the United Nations Food Systems Summit+2 Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+2) at the invitation of the United Nations (UN) Secretary General António Guterres.

The summit was held at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) headquarters in Rome on July 24-26 with the theme “Sustainable Food Systems for People, Planet and Prosperity: Diverse Pathways in a Shared Journey”.

The prime minister delivered her address at the opening ceremony of the conference as a special guest speaker, addressed its plenary session titled “Food Systems and Climate Action” and opened Bangladesh-Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Room at the FAO headquarters on July 24.

Besides, Hasina held a bilateral meeting with her Nepalese counterpart Pushpa Kamal Dahal at newly opened Bangladesh-Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Room in the FAO headquarters on the sideline of the UN Food Systems Summit.

Three Italian Ministers -agriculture minister Francesco Lollobrigida, interior minister Matteo Piantedosi and justice minister Carlo Nordio met her at FAO headquarters.

FAO Director General Qu Dongyu, President of International Fund of Agricultural Development (IFAD) Alvaro Lario and World Food Programme (WFP) executive director Cindy Hensley McCain separately met her on the same day.

On July 25, Hasina held a bilateral meeting with her Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni. Two Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs)- “Cooperation in the Field of Energy” and “Cultural Exchange Programme” were exchanged between Bangladesh and Italy in the presence of the two leaders.

The premier attended the “Conference of Bangladesh Envoys in Europe,” which was held at her place of residence with participation of Bangladeshi envoys stationed in 15 European countries.

PM Hasina also addressed a community event hosted by the expatriate Bangladeshis in Italy on July 25.