DHAKA, May 19, 2013 – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left here today for Chiang Mai on a two-day official visit to Thailand to attend the Second Asia Pacific Water Summit (2APWS).
The two-day high-level segment of the summit will be held at Chiang Mai, one of the most culturally-significant cities of Thailand, on May 20-21.
A special flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the Prime Minister and her entourage members took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HISA) at 11. 15 am.
Deputy Leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, Home Minister Dr Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Muhammad Faruq Khan, Jute and Textiles Minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui and Chief Whip of the Jatiya Sangsad Abdus Shahid saw the Prime Minister off at the airport.
Besides, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, the chiefs of the three services, the Thai Ambassador in Dhaka and high civil and military officials were also present.
The Prime Minister will address the opening session of the summit on May 20 at Chiang Mai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Earlier she will attend the Working Breakfast of the Summit.
During the visit, she will hold bilateral talks with her Thai counterpart Yingluck Shinawatra on May 20.
She is scheduled to meet South Korean Prime Minister Jung Hong- won and a number of other leaders who would join the summit.
Sheikh Hasina will visit Wiang Kum Kam historical site of Chiang Mai and attend a dinner hosted by the Thai Prime Minister in honour of the attending heads of delegations.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to return home in the morning on May 21.
The Asia-Pacific Water Forum (APWF) was created in March 2006 in the face of the region’s pressing water problems to help address the challenges of the Asia-Pacific region. The APWF organized the 1st Asia-Pacific Water Summit (APWS) in Beppu,
Japan in 2007.
The 2nd APWF Summit will mark another step forward in Asia- Pacific leaders’ efforts and commitment to work in solidarity to identify and adopt solutions to water issues and challenges in the region.
The summit will bring together heads of state, ministers, senior officials and other representatives of national and local governments, and members of civil society, media, technical experts from across the world to deliberate and discuss the crucial issues of water security and water resources management.
Source : BSS @rrajowan
