Online Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina returned home today after attending the “Global Gateway Forum” held in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, on October 25-26. The premier went to Brussels on October 24 at the invitation of the European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen. A commercial flight of the Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the Prime Minister and her entourage members landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka at 11.51am. On her way back home, the premier exchanged pleasantries with the passengers on board while roaming around the flight. The flight earlier departed the Brussels Zaventem Airport, Belgium at 10:10pm (Brussels time). During the visit, the Prime Minister held a number of meetings with leaders of European countries on the sidelines of the forum. In the morning on October 25, she held bilateral meetings with Executive Vice President of the EC and European Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis. Later, the Bangladesh premier held a bilateral meeting with the EC President Ursula von der Leyen. After this bilateral meeting, a loan support agreement of 350 million Euros on the renewable energy sector was signed between the Bangladesh government’s Economic Relations Department (ERD) and European Investment Bank. A grant agreement of 45 million Euros for Bangladesh’s renewable energy sector was also signed between the European Commission and European Investment Bank.

A 12 million Euros grant agreement between the Bangladesh government and EC was also signed for Bangladesh’s renewable energy sector. During this visit, the Bangladesh government and EC signed five different grant agreements of 70 million Euros on Bangladesh’s Social sectors. On the same day, Sheikh Hasina attended the Global Gateway Forum’s opening plenary session and delivered her speech. In the afternoon, European Investment Bank President Dr. Werner Hoyer held a meeting with the premier.EC Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic and EC Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen paid a courtesy call on the Bangladesh premier. In the evening, the Prime Minister attended a dinner hosted by Ursula von der Leyen in honor of the heads of state and government participating in the Global Gateway Forum. In the morning on October 26, she held two separate bilateral meetings with her Belgian counterpart Alexander De Croo and with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.

The premier in the afternoon on the same day attended the closing plenary session of the Global Gateway Forum. Sheikh Hasina later attended a reception accorded to her by Bangladeshi expatriates living in Belgium. TV channel EURONEWS and POLITICO took interview of the Bangladesh prime minister on October 25 and 26 respectively.