New york: Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today held meetings with four world leaders that helped reach Bangladesh’s bilateral relations with the countries a new height, CA Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said. About the outcomes of the meetings, he said the chief adviser today held one-to-one meetings with four world leaders on the third day of his visit to New York.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Prof Yunus met with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) at the UN Headquarters. Earlier in the day, he had a bilateral meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at a hotel. The chief adviser also met with President of Finland Alexander Stubb and President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani on the sidelines of UNGA.
Alam noted that Bangladesh’s next election was a topic of discussion in every meeting. In the meeting with the Italian prime minister, Prof Yunus advocated for enhancing bilateral trade relations, leading to the Italian premier proposing the formation of an Italy-Bangladesh business forum.
The press secretary highlighted Kosovo’s growing economy, noting its transformation from a war-torn country in the 1990s to the fastest-growing economy in Europe over the past two years. Issues of bilateral interest were discussed in the meeting with President of Finland Alexander Stubb, where Finland and Italy expressed their support for Bangladesh’s democratic transition. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni plans to visit Bangladesh in December.
The Rohingya issue was a key topic in the four meetings, with the Italian premier committing to send a high-level delegation to the UN conference on the Rohingya issue in New York on September 30. Discussions also focused on increasing funding for the Rohingya.
In his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Prof Yunus expressed condolences for the recent flood-related deaths in Pakistan. Trade and economic relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan were also on the agenda.
Additionally, Alam mentioned that Prof Yunus spoke at the US-Bangladesh Executive Business Roundtable, titled “Advancing Reform, Resilience and Growth,” urging US companies like MetLife, Chevron, and Excelerate Energy to increase investment in Bangladesh. Six political leaders from Bangladesh, accompanying the chief adviser, were introduced to top US businessmen during the roundtable.