PM Hasina arrives in Port of Spain, attends inauguration of C?wealth summit Shares development thinking with world leaders

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Thursday shared her development thinking with world leaders in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, and called for international cooperation in facing formidable challenges like climate change to keep Bangladesh on track of advances. She conferred with leaders of four countries just after arrival here to attend the Commonwealth summit, which got off to a formal start on Friday morning.

As Sheikh Hasina flew in Parico International Airport, Port of Spain, at local time 5:20pm (BDT 4:20am) Thursday by a British Airways flight, she was escorted to the VVIP lounge of the airport where she met with heads of government and state of four countries.

Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka, Prime Minister of Denmark Lars Lkke Rasmussen, Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong and Cyprus President Demetris Christofias had talks with the Bangladesh Prime Minister for around an hour on various issues of global development.

During the unscheduled meeting, the world leaders congratulated Prime Minister Hasina on her party?s massive victory at the December 29 general election. They appreciated that Bangladesh got back its democracy under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina.

The leaders hoped that Bangladesh?s democracy would further be ?strengthened under visionary and brave leadership? of Sheikh Hasina. She was also highly praised by them for the important achievement as the new government of Bangladesh could bring the nation onto the ?right track of development with effective development initiatives?. Hasina, in reply, pointed out that the global climate change came out as the biggest obstacle on the path of achieving the development targets. ?Our government is taking every possible measure for protecting the people and the economy from the disastrous impacts of the climate change, but a country alone cannot face the wrath of the global warming,? she said.

The Prime Minister underscored the need for international cooperation with Bangladesh in tackling the challenge of climate change due to global warming that brings natural calamity to upset the development gains. She apprised the President and the Prime Ministers of various development plans and projects of her government, saying that the government is working ?relentlessly to free the people from the curse of poverty?.

After a 20-hour-long exacting air journey, Sheikh Hasina at the head of Bangladesh delegation arrived in Port of Spain on Thursday evening to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting? 2009. On her arrival at the airport, the Prime Minister was received by representatives of Trinidad government with flower bouquet.

After her talks with the global leaders, the Prime Minister was taken to her hotel suite at Hyatt Regency Trinidad in a colorful motorcade.

Earlier, on her way to the Caribbean island, the Prime Minister took transit stop in Dubai and London for two and four hours respectively.

Prime Minister Hasina attended the opening ceremony of the CHOGM?2009 Friday at local time 9:45am along with other leaders from the former British colonies.

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