Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was accorded a red carpet welcome when she arrived in Bangkok at noon local time on Wednesday on a six-day official visit at the invitation of Thai Prime Minister Sretha Thavisin.
The Prime Minister was received by Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Anuthin Charnvirakul when he arrived at Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport at 1:08 pm (local time).
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He was given a static guard of honor and a 19-time gun salute at the airport.
Thailand’s Minister in Attendance Puangpet Chunlaiyed, Thailand’s Ambassador to Bangladesh Makawadi Sumitmore and Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Thailand Mohammad Abdul Hai were present at the airport.
Earlier, the Prime Minister left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10:13 am on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight.
Officials said that this visit is to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.
This is the first high-level visit of the government from Bangladesh to Thailand since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1972.
During his visit from April 24 to 29, the Prime Minister will hold bilateral meetings with Thavisin and attend the 80th session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
The foreign minister said that a number of cooperation documents including a letter of intent will be signed between Bangladesh and Thailand regarding the negotiation of a free trade agreement.
He said the two countries are likely to sign visa waivers for passport holders, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on energy cooperation and two more MoUs on cooperation in the tourism sector and mutual cooperation on customs to expand relations.
In addition to Rohingya repatriation, Bangladesh will seek Thailand’s cooperation in increasing investment in Thailand.
The Prime Minister will be formally received by Thai Prime Minister Sretha Thavisin on April 26 and will be presented with a guard of honour.
The Prime Minister will hold a bilateral meeting with Thavisin at Government House on the same day.
After the meeting, the two Prime Ministers will participate in a joint press conference after signing documents between the two countries.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will then attend a state lunch hosted by the Prime Minister of Thailand in her honour.
During the visit, the Prime Minister will meet King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklauchaohua and Queen Suthida Vajrasudhabimalakshana of Thailand.
Earlier in this multilateral visit, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will attend the 80th session of the Commission for UNSC on April 25 and address there.
On the same day, United Nations Under-Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Armida Salcia Aliszabana will pay a courtesy call on the Prime Minister.
Under the theme ‘Leveraging Digital Innovation for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific’, the eighth session will be an opportunity to strengthen regional collaborative action to harness digital innovation to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The session will bring together government leaders and ministers and other key stakeholders from Asia and the Pacific to discuss how digital innovation can contribute more inclusively to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
