PM Hasina likely to visit Spain, Brazil from July 21

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to pay official visits to Spain and Brazil from July 21 to further strengthen ties with these two countries engaging in broader areas of cooperation, reports UNB.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is taking preparations for these two separate bilateral visits, officials said.

The prime minister‍‍`s official visit to Madrid is tentatively planned to take place from July 21 to 23, a senior official told UNB.

After completion of her visit to Spain, she is likely to pay an official visit to Brazil on July 24-26 with a likely stopover in London, the official said, adding that these are tentative schedules.

Brazilian Ambassador Paulo Fernando Dias Feres recently said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina‍‍`s visit to Brazil will be "bilateral" in nature.

Brazil, South America‍‍`s most influential country, wants to strengthen its ties with Bangladesh on key fronts.

Earlier, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva invited the prime minister to pay a bilateral visit to Brazil.

"This is a bilateral visit. It‍‍`s just her. The idea is that she can launch with President Lula the global programme against hunger and then she will go to Brasilia for all the ceremonies of a full opera visit. So that‍‍`s the idea," said Brazilian Ambassador Paulo Fernando Dias Feres while talking to diplomatic correspondents at "DCAB Talk" at Jatiya Press Club recently.

This will be the first bilateral visit of the prime minister to any Latin American country.

Brazil is planning to open a visa centre in Bangladesh to facilitate more people-to-people contact as the demand grows by the day.

Bangladesh will emphasise the need for increased trade and commerce with Spain to foster mutual cooperation and benefits.