Staff Reporter:
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will leave here today for Türkiye to attend the COP31 World Leaders’ Summit, where he will address a plenary session and hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines.
The summit is scheduled to take place in Antalya on November 11-12, with the Prime Minister set to deliver Bangladesh’s statement at a plenary session on November 12.
COP, officially known as the Conference of the Parties, is the annual United Nations climate summit where countries discuss collective action to address climate change.
Newly appointed Foreign Secretary Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury briefed reporters on preparations for the visit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday.
The Prime Minister will undertake the official visit from November 10 to 12 to lead the Bangladesh delegation.
His spouse Dr Zubaida Rahman, the Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the two state ministers for foreign affairs, the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Environment, Forest and Climate Change, relevant government officials, a media team and other distinguished individuals will accompany him.
The foreign secretary said arrangements for the Prime Minister’s engagements on the sidelines of the summit were still being finalised.
Bilateral meetings are being arranged with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Australian Prime Minister, the President of Uzbekistan and the British Foreign Secretary.
A meeting with the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is also being explored.
The meetings are expected to cover strengthening bilateral relations, expanding trade and investment, cooperation in addressing climate change and other matters of mutual interest.
Chowdhury expressed the hope that these engagements would create new opportunities to advance Bangladesh’s economic and geopolitical interests.
Responding to a question about a possible courtesy meeting between the Prime Minister and the Turkish President, he said there was a possibility of such an engagement, during which overall cooperation between the two countries would be discussed.
The two sides could discuss the broader relationship, but specific project arrangements were unlikely to be settled during a courtesy meeting on the sidelines of a multilateral conference, he said.
In his plenary address, the Prime Minister will outline Bangladesh’s position and expectations on climate justice, the historical responsibility of developed countries, climate finance, adaptation, addressing loss and damage, and climate-resilient sustainable development.
Chowdhury said Bangladesh contributes only 0.05 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet remains among the countries most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change.
Against this backdrop, securing climate justice is one of Bangladesh’s foremost priorities, he said.
Other priorities include adaptation finance, addressing loss and damage, and ensuring the effective implementation of developed countries’ climate finance commitments.
At the summit, Bangladesh will highlight its achievements in climate resilience and share its experience in addressing climate impacts across South Asia and the wider Asian region.
Bangladesh has also taken an initiative to establish a jute pavilion in the conference’s Green Zone to showcase jute’s diverse uses, environmentally friendly characteristics and potential as an alternative to plastic.
A joint declaration between Bangladesh and Turkiye on the use and promotion of jute and jute products is also envisaged during the conference, the foreign secretary said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will organize two side events in the Blue Zone on November 12 and 13.
The foreign secretary expressed the hope that Bangladesh’s participation under the Prime Minister’s leadership would strengthen its position in international climate diplomacy and provide an opportunity to showcase its efforts and achievements in building climate resilience.
Additional Foreign Secretary (Public Diplomacy and Other Priority Matters) A K M Shahidul Karim and senior ministry officials were present at the briefing.
