United News of Bangladesh

Welcoming newly appointed representatives of PPD, WFP and IOM, Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman on Thursday underscored Bangladesh’s interest in deepening cooperation with their organizations across shared development and humanitarian priorities, and wished them success in their assignments. Three newly appointed heads - Professor Joseph Akinkugbe Adelegan, Executive Director of the Partners in Population and Development (PPD) Secretariat; Coco H. Ushiyama, Country Representative of the World Food Programme (WFP) Bangladesh; and Dr. Laura Nicole Tomm-Bonde, Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Bangladesh, presented their credentials to the Foreign Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. All three newly appointed representatives congratulated Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur on his election as president of the eighty-first session of the United Nations General Assembly.  They expressed their appreciation for Bangladesh’s long-standing partnership with their respective organizations and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation with the Government of Bangladesh in advancing shared priorities. During the meeting with Prof Adelegan, the Foreign Minister appreciated the important role of PPD in promoting reproductive health, family planning, maternal and child health, and expressed confidence that PPD would further strengthen its contribution to sustainable development and population-related initiatives. In his meeting with Ushiyama, the Foreign Minister commended WFP’s long-standing partnership with Bangladesh in the areas of food security, nutrition, school feeding, and humanitarian assistance.  He appreciated WFP’s continued support for the Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals and the affected host communities in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char and underscored the importance of sustained international support for the Rohingya response. With Dr. Tomm-Bonde, the discussion focused on how Bangladesh and IOM could work more closely to strengthen public education and market-relevant skills for prospective migrants, improve data systems throughout the migration cycle, expand safe and regular pathways, and prevent irregular migration through awareness campaigns.  The Foreign Minister appreciated IOM’s contribution to implementation of the Global Compact for Migration, the humanitarian response for the Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar, and assistance to Bangladeshi nationals stranded in crisis-affected countries.  Dr. Tomm-Bonde thanked the Foreign Minister for the warm reception, praised Bangladesh’s leadership in advancing safe, orderly and regular migration.

Newly appointed Chief of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Bangladesh Dr Laura Tomm Bonde on Thursday reaffirmed IOM’s readiness to support Bangladesh in enhancing regular migration pathways and advancing whole-of-government and regional approaches to climate mobility. Presenting her credentials to Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman, she talked about climate-induced displacement and disaster risks stemming from Bangladesh’s exposure to climate shocks such as floods, cyclones, droughts, and salinity intrusion. “I sincerely welcome Dr Laura Tomm Bonde to Bangladesh as the Chief of Mission and look forward to continuing the strong partnership between the Government of Bangladesh and IOM,” said the Foreign Minister. Dr Bonde assumes her role at a pivotal time, as Bangladesh navigates diverse migration dynamics from expanding opportunities for safe and regular labour migration to hosting over one million Rohingyas who fled violence in Myanmar, one of the largest protracted displacement situations globally. A Canadian citizen, Dr Bonde previously served as IOM Chief of Mission in Mozambique for six and a half years, said the UN agency. “The overall migration landscape in Bangladesh is highly dynamic and presents both opportunities and challenges,” said Dr Bonde. “I look forward to working closely with the Government to ensure that the migrants’ rights are protected and that migration contributes meaningfully to sustainable development through well governed and inclusive migration systems,” she added. The new IOM Chief of Mission reaffirmed the Organization’s continued commitment to supporting the Government of Bangladesh across the full migration cycle, including strengthening safe and regular labour migration, enhancing health and pre-departure services, reinforcing border governance, and supporting protection and reintegration for vulnerable migrants. She underscored IOM’s continued prioritization of the Rohingya response, delivering life-saving assistance and supporting affected host communities in Cox’s Bazar.  

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman on Saturday said the government is fully committed to implementing deep, structural reforms to improve the ease of doing business stressing that the government holds the political will and strategic vision to make Bangladesh the most competitive investment destination in South Asia. "Our government possesses the political will, the strategic vision, and the unwavering commitment to make Bangladesh the most competitive investment destination in South Asia," he said while describing the local business community as primary strategic partners. Speaking at the high-level conference titled “Roadmap for Trade, Growth & Economic Diplomacy 2026: Navigating Risks, Leveraging Resilience” in a city hotel, the Foreign Minister and President-elect of the 81st UN General Assembly said they view every foreign ambassador, not just as a diplomat, but as a crucial partner of their development. 
 "We view every business leader here, not just as an investor, or a taxpayer, but a stakeholder in our national success," he added. Organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), the conference brought together senior government leaders, heads of diplomatic missions, development partners, and representatives from the private sector to chart a forward-looking agenda for Bangladesh’s economic engagement. Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Education Mahdi Amin, BIDA Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud and Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, among others, spoke at the event. The Foreign Minister said they must remain connected. "We must remain in dialogue. We must get feedbacks from you.... work with us as we rebuild trust and unlock the true vibrant potential of Bangladesh." Today, faced with the energy crisis and developments in the international trade, finance and technology, Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman also has a clear vision to transform the challenges to new opportunities with three key goals: stabilise, reform and elevate. "We need to convert his vision into concrete action as it comes to our work on economic and trade diplomacy," he said. As the new government begins its work, Dr Khalilur said they have before them the challenge of redesigning their international economic engagements against the backdrop slowing global economic and trade growth, geopolitical tensions, trade policy uncertainties, calamites rising trade barriers and structural shifts in supply chains. Moreover, the ongoing energy crisis has added a new layer of complications, he said. "We are not immune to these developments, which have crucial implications for our approaches to overall policy making, in general, and economic diplomacy, in particular," said the Foreign Minister. This is the very reason why the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) decided to organise today's event that brings together our partners and stakeholders for open and purposeful deliberations with a view to helping informed policymaking, he said. "The challenges we face are critical. The growth prospects in our major markets remain in the positive territory but at a moderate level. This is likely to translate into sluggish consumer demand, which will affect our exports to these markets," Dr Khalilur said. He said they will need to compete ever more fiercely in order to maintain and expand our export position. Secondly, he said, financial markets and institutions are increasing affecting production of goods and services. "Trade flows have become increasingly susceptible to movements in interest rates or changes in investor sentiments," Dr Khalilur said. Countries like Bangladesh find it harder to raise capital, pay significantly higher borrowing costs and remain acutely vulnerable to swings in market sentiment, said the Foreign Minister. While advanced economies are able to borrow at roughly 1-4%, the rate for emerging developing countries range typically from 6-12% or even higher. "Thus, our access to affordable and secure financing remains significantly restricted," the Foreign Minister said. Like many other developing countries, Bangladesh remains acutely susceptible to factors such as currency volatility, shifts in risk-taking appetite and financial volatility, said the Foreign Minister. Thirdly, he said, climate vulnerability has introduced another difficulty in access to finance. According to UNCTAD, which recently carried out an Investment Policy Review of Bangladesh, some climate-vulnerable countries are paying an extra 20 billion dollar annually in interest due to their climate risk. "External debt and climate crisis are become intertwined," said the Foreign Minister. Fourthly, he said, the ongoing energy crisis has already caused them to spend more on imported fuel. "Increased fuel prices directly affect our cost of production and competitiveness." "By taking away critical funding that would have gone for development activities, we are likely to witness second round effects of the crisis in the form of reduced funding for development in the years to come," the Foreign Minister said. The International Energy Association opined that the scope of the current energy crisis could be larger than that of the twin oil shocks of the 1970s, which was a major cause for the 1980s to become a lost decade of development for many developing countries. The Foreign Minister said trade tech, which is the intersection of trade, investment and technology, is fast redefining the global economy and trade by making cross border transactions quicker and more efficient through the increasing use of innovations like AI, Internet of Things, Blockchain and 5G. "This poses both a challenge and an opportunity depending on how quickly and effectively countries can take advantage of the fast moving Trade Tech landscape," he said. The conference featured three thematic sessions: 1. The Policy Compass – Advancing Trade & Investment, focusing on policy predictability, market access, and investor confidence, 2 Capital for Growth – Finance, Commerce and Trade, addressing financing reforms and investment mobilisation, 3 The New Stage - Government Policy, AI, Creative Industries and Sport, exploring emerging growth sectors and diversification opportunities. The “Roadmap for Trade, Growth & Economic Diplomacy 2026” was held at a critical juncture of global transitions, risks and uncertainties. The event aims to foster greater coordination between policy and implementation, enhance Bangladesh’s economic diplomacy, and build stronger partnerships with the international community.

Attaching importance of parliamentary diplomacy as a complementary mechanism to traditional diplomacy, Bangladesh and Russia have expressed interest for cooperation on international parliamentary forums to widen understanding, engagement, and multilateralism. Both the sides discussed about the formation of parliamentary friendship groups in their respective parliaments. Will rely on your help, support on both bilateral, UNGA fronts: FM tells Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman held an official meeting in Moscow with Deputy Speaker of the Senate of the Russian Federation Konstantin Kosachev on June 9 and discussed the issues. Foreign Minister Dr Rahman is on a three-day official visit to Russian Federation at the invitation of his Russian counterpart. Adviser on Foreign Affairs to Prime Minister Humaiun Kobir was present at the meeting. The Foreign Minister is scheduled to return home on Thursday, a senior official told UNB. The Russian Deputy Speaker congratulated Bangladesh on holding the landmark general elections in February this year and subsequently the formation of the new government of led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. During the meeting, they discussed enhancing legislative cooperation, digital transformation, capacity building, and parliamentary diplomacy in parliamentary affairs, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday. Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur highlighted Bangladesh’s ongoing efforts toward digital transformation including e-Parliament initiatives, digital legislative services, and citizen engagement platforms. Both sides agreed to explore opportunities for cooperation and knowledge sharing with Russian parliamentary institutions including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and legislative research.  They also discussed enhancing professional exchange programmes, exchange of parliamentary delegations, and capacity-building opportunities.  The Foreign Minister invited a parliamentary delegation from Russia to visit Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is in discussion with Russia to enhance manpower, sending up to 100,000 workers within the next year. Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman made a proposal to the Russian authorities on Monday who agreed to work on it expeditiously. Currently, nearly 10,000 Bangladeshis are working in Russia, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two sides are expected to complete necessary formalities in this regard soon. Earlier in his bilateral meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the Foreign Minister discussed to increase bilateral trade volume and requested Russian government for duty free quota free (DFQF) market access to Bangladesh’s products and urged steps for fast-track registration process for Bangladeshi products. He requested Russia in invest in special economic zones and Hi-Tech parks in Bangladesh including in emerging sectors such as light-to-heavy engineering, food and agro-processing, petrochemicals, steel manufacturing, IT, etc.    Dr Khalilur requested Russia to support Bangladesh for concluding an FTA between Bangladesh and Eurasia Economic Commission (EEC).  Currently, EEC has five members namely Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. In addition, both sides agreed that the trade volume between Bangladesh and Russia is well below the potential. Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur emphasised the prospect of rapidly increasing Bangladeshi exports, particularly readymade garments and pharmaceuticals to the Russian market. In this regard, the Russian side welcomed the proposal to host a business delegation from Bangladesh in the coming weeks. The issue of cooperation in the area of technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), came up prominently during the visit. The Foreign Minister proposed that a delegation on the application of AI in agriculture and health should visit Bangladesh, to which the Russian authorities readily agreed.  The Russian authorities also expressed interest in assisting Bangladesh in preparing its national AI policy and establishing institutions of excellence in AI in Bangladesh. Dr Khalilur held an official bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister of Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Monday. The two leaders discussed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and their wider engagement and cooperation in the regional and international forums including the United Nations.  Both leaders recollected their friendship began four decades ago when they were representatives of their respective countries to the United Nations. Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur recalled the historic contribution of the former USSR during Bangladesh’s Liberation War. The former USSR was one of the first countries to recognize Bangladesh. Both the Foreign Ministers looked forward to the 55th anniversary of their diplomatic relation in 2027. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated their vows to widen and strengthen bilateral relations with Bangladesh. He warmly congratulated Bangladesh Foreign Minister for being elected as the President of the 81st Session of the UNGA.  Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur thanked Russia for its support to his UNGA Presidency candidature. During the meeting, the two leaders took stock of bilateral cooperation in sectors and areas such as industry, power & energy, agriculture, research & technology, culture, education, tourism, transport and defence and resolved to expand and deepen cooperation in these areas.  He sought Russian support for Bangladesh to be an official member of BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to which Russian Foreign Minister replied positively. Thanking the government of Russia for the fuel loading of the first unit of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, the Bangladesh Foreign Minister requested Russian Foreign Minister to extend full support in expediting the commissioning of the second unit as planned.

Bangladesh and Russia will hold talks on bilateral and international issues in Moscow on June 8 as Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman is set to pay a three-day official visit to Russia. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced the official visit by Bangladeshi Foreign Minister. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka is yet to make an official announcement. At the invitation of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Khalilur Rahman will pay an official visit to Russia on June 7-9, said the Russian side. On June 8, the ministers will hold talks on current bilateral and international issues, said the Spokesperson. A special emphasis will be placed on our interaction at the UN as Khalilur Rahman has been elected President of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly, the Russian said said. The ranking Bangladeshi guest’s programme also includes meetings with top officials from the Federation Council, Rosatom State Corporation, and a number of other organisations, according to the Russian Embassy in Dhaka.

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman on Thursday said his election as President of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) reflects the confidence and support of the international community in Bangladesh and its people. Speaking at a reception hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in his honour, Dr Khalilur noted that the achievement underscores Bangladesh’s strengthened diplomatic standing.  He paid tribute to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for his guidance and leadership throughout the campaign, emphasising that the successful outcome was made possible by the Prime Minister’s commitment to advancing Bangladesh’s global engagement. The reception was attended by State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, Adviser to the Prime Minister Humaiun Kobir, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, and other senior officials. Earlier, upon his arrival in Dhaka following the election, the Foreign Minister was received at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by the State Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Principal Secretary and Foreign Ministry officials.

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman has vowed to serve as a ‘full-time President’ and President for everyone, if elected as the President of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). “If elected, I will be everyone’s President, full-time President,” he said while joining the informal interactive dialogue as part of the election for the presidency of the 81st session of the UNGA. Dr Khalilur said he will unfailingly uphold the UN Charter and will engage all member States and pay attention, especially to small delegations. "I am able, willing, and ready to serve as your President from day one," he said. President of the 80th session of the General Assembly Annalena Baerbock convened informal interactive dialogues with the candidates for the presidency of the 81st UN session on Wednesday that were broadcast live on UN WebTV. The Foreign Minister said it will be one of his priorities to uphold the UN General Assembly's normative work on human rights, underscore the importance of efficient and unimpeded humanitarian access, and highlight the plights of refugees and migrant workers wherever they deserve their attention. “I must recall in this context that Bangladesh has been providing shelter and humanitarian support to 1.3 million Rohingyas, forcibly displaced from Myanmar, in one of the largest such concentrations in the world,” he said in his vision statement. This experience has deepened our conviction that international solidarity, responsibility-sharing, and predictable resources are indispensable to an effective humanitarian system, he said. If elected President of the General Assembly, the Foreign Minister said, he will dedicate himself to rebuilding trust, nurturing consensus, and opening space for good faith negotiations that will lead to outcomes for all that are owned by all. “Working together, we can restore trust in and manage the much-needed transformation of the United Nations and prove, once again, that multilateralism is not only relevant, but indispensable to a future of peace, dignity, and prosperity for all,” he said. In its resolution 71/323 titled “Revitalisation of the work of the General Assembly”, the Assembly called upon candidates for the position of President of the General Assembly to present their vision statements, conducted informal interactive dialogues with Member States, thus contributing to the transparency and inclusivity of the process. Civil society organisations and individuals engaged in the informal interactive dialogues by submitting questions to the candidates. Questions were received through the registration of participants who engaged either in person or through video messages. Dr Khalilur is a candidate from the Asia-Pacific region with over 30 years of experience with the United Nations, both as a representative of Bangladesh to the General Assembly and as a senior official at the UN secretariat in New York and at UNCTAD in Geneva. Over the years, he has actively participated in 16 UNGA sessions, engaging directly in its negotiations, high-level meetings and follow-up processes. Throughout his career, Dr Khalilur has worked extensively on development issues facing the Global South, including those related to Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). “I am convinced that our world now needs a more effective and responsive multilateralism. By working together, we can build a more robust multilateral system that commands the trust of Member States and delivers tangible benefits for all,” the foreign minister said in his vision statement. He said he believes that he has the combination of knowledge, experience and leadership capabilities to effectively lead the General Assembly to advance this overarching goal. The election of the president of the United Nations General Assembly for the 81st session will be held on June 2 in the General Assembly Hall at UN headquarters, in line with Rule 30 of the Rules of Procedure. In accordance with the established regional rotation, the president of the 81st session of the General Assembly will be elected from the Asia Pacific Group. Following the withdrawal of the Palestinian candidature, Bangladesh will now compete with Cyprus. The 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly will open at a historic crossroads, Khalilur Rahman said, adding that eight decades after the UN Charter was signed in San Francisco, their shared system of multilateral cooperation faces profound challenges. “Yet this moment also presents unprecedented opportunities to renew its promise for ‘we the peoples’ in the 21st century,” he said.

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman has said that international commerce and global trade channels should be free and open, stressing that everybody suffers if the free flow of international commerce is impeded. “It’s very important that the Strait of Hormuz is open for navigation. Not only the Strait of Hormuz, but international commerce should also be free and open. If they are not open and are impeded, everybody suffers. Global growth suffers, countries suffer. So it’s very important that these channels of global trade remain open,” he said. During an interview titled ADF Talks on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum recently, the Foreign Minister said the news that the Strait of Hormuz would remain open was very welcome. “You saw the impact on oil prices immediately.” He called for coordinated international action to contain the global energy crisis, warning that developing countries could face severe economic shocks if supply disruptions persist. Referring to past experiences, Dr Khalilur said they do not want a repetition of history, and it is very important that countries around the world work not only to bring peace but also to minimide the effects that the crisis might have on various countries, especially developing nations. He said the International Energy Agency has already indicated that the scope of the current crisis could be much larger than that of the 1970s. “So if the impact is very similar, then we have very rough days ahead. It is only through collective action that we will be able to withstand the negative effects emanating from the crisis and its impact on the energy market,” said the Foreign Minister. He said the world is currently facing a serious energy crisis and significant energy challenges and expressed hope that the situation would improve soon so that countries can return to normal economic activities. The 5th edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF 2026), hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, took place on April 17–19 in Antalya, Türkiye. In the face of geopolitical tensions, shifting balances of power, rising trade barriers and mounting pressure on multilateralism, the current global landscape is marked by increasing unpredictability. This year’s theme, “Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties,” emphasized the importance of anticipating and addressing emerging issues in order to shape a better future. The theme underscored the need to stay ahead of future developments by identifying risks and opportunities, developing strategies, and turning insights into action. “Young nations and developing economies suffered deeply in the 1980s after earlier oil shocks. We do not want a repetition of history,” said the Foreign Minister.

Bangladesh is seeking to 'maximise its diplomatic gains' through a series of high-level engagements at Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2026 (ADF2026) with Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman's presence at this key global diplomatic gathering in Türkiye’s resort city Antalya, officials said. The country aims to build support for its candidature for the UN General Assembly Presidency while advancing bilateral relations, a senior official told UNB. The 5th edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2026), hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will take place on April 17-19 in Antalya, Türkiye. In the face of geopolitical tensions, shifting balances of power, rising trade barriers and mounting pressure on multilateralism, the current global landscape is marked by increasing unpredictability. Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur, who arrived in Turkey on Thursday, will attend the ADF at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan. This year's theme "Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties" emphasises the importance of anticipating and addressing emerging issues to be able to shape a better future. The theme underscores the need to stay ahead of future developments by identifying risks and opportunities, developing strategies and turning insights into action, said the organisers. The Foreign Minister will attend two panels as a panelist and hold a number of bilateral meetings with his counterparts from different countries, a senior official familiar with his programme schedule told UNB. In view of his candidature for the UNGA Presidency, he said that this would be a very important forum to attend. The 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) will open at historic crossroads. Eight decades after the UN Charter was signed in San Francisco, the shared system of multilateral cooperation faces profound challenges. "Yet this moment also presents unprecedented opportunities to renew its promise for ‘we the peoples’ in the twenty-first century," said Dr Khalilur in his vision statement as one of the candidates with over thirty years of experience with the United Nations, both as a representative of Bangladesh to the General Assembly and as a senior official at the UN secretariat in New York and at UNCTAD in Geneva. Don’t be worried, exercise austerity amid Middle East crisis: PM Over the years, Dr Khalilur has actively participated in sixteen UNGA sessions, engaging directly in its negotiations, high-level meetings and follow-up processes. Throughout his career, he has worked extensively on development issues facing the Global South including those related to Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Land-Locked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). "I am convinced that our world now needs a more effective and responsive multilateralism. By working together, we can build a more robust multilateral system that commands the trust of Member States and delivers tangible benefits for all," Dr Khalilur said, who wants to effectively lead the General Assembly to advance this overarching goal. The election of the President of the United Nations General Assembly for the eighty first session will be held on June 2 in the General Assembly Hall, UNHQs. In accordance with the established regional rotation, the President of the eighty first session of the General Assembly will be elected from the Asia Pacific Group. "We are trying to maximise the number of meetings in Türkiye," the official said, noting that there are requests for international media interviews and meeting requests from international organisations as well. As conflicts remain unresolved, polarisation grows and strategic rivalries expand, numerous critical issues continue to affect people all over the world, said the organisers. In order to address these challenges and work towards a more inclusive, fair and effective international system, they said, the consolidation of international cooperation, dialogue and solidarity is imperative. ADF2026 will bring together leaders, policymakers, diplomats, academics, business experts, media and civil society representatives to explore how to best manage uncertainties and address pressing issues while preparing for future challenges. Through keynote addresses, panel discussions and interactive sessions as well as bilateral meetings, the participants will discuss global trends and regional dynamics, exchange views on possible solutions and share best practices. The Forum will once again provide a valuable platform for fostering dialogue, restoring trust and engaging in stronger cooperation; mapping the path forward to a more peaceful, stable and resilient world for future generations, organisers said. Since its launch in 2021, the forum has steadily grown into a leading platform for dialogue, cooperation, and high-level diplomatic engagement worldwide. This year’s edition is expected to host representatives from more than 150 countries, including heads of state, ministers, and senior officials from international organisations. More than 20 heads of state, 15 deputy leaders, and over 50 foreign ministers are expected to take part, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources. In total, the forum is set to bring together more than 460 high-level participants, including around 75 representatives from international organisations, alongside nearly 5,000 guests. The ADF26 will feature broad geographical representation, with nearly half of participating heads of state coming from Africa and Europe. Brussels Visit After attending the three-day Antalya Diplomacy Forum, he will leave for Brussels, Belgium, to attend a signing event on the framework agreement on 'Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation' between Bangladesh and the European Union. Bangladesh and the EU have prepared to sign the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) next week which is aimed at further institutionalising bilateral cooperation. EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller met the Foreign Minister at the ministry on Wednesday and discussed issues of mutual interest. They discussed the Foreign Minister’s upcoming visit to Brussels to lead a delegation for the initialling of the PCA. Both sides expressed satisfaction with the long-standing and mutually beneficial Bangladesh-EU partnership, noting that it has evolved into a comprehensive and multifaceted engagement. They discussed avenues of mutual interest, including reform initiatives, migration management, skills development, rule of law, and good governance. The EU looks forward to the new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with Bangladesh which will be ‘initialled’ during the visit of the Foreign Minister to Brussels on April 20, enhancing cooperation across the board. The Heads of Mission of Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the EU recently met Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, a senior official told UNB, noting that the EU has already conveyed its message of readiness to intensify relations with the new government. The EU expressed support for priority reforms, economic modernisation and managed migration, stressing the importance of a level playing field to promote investment and shared values underpin the EU’s partnerships around the world. On his way back home, the Foreign Minister is expected to make a stopover in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and will return to Bangladesh on April 24.