G20 foreign ministers’ meet: Momen leaves for New Delhi today

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen leaves for New Delhi today to attend the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting.

Talking to reporters at the Jatiya Press Club yesterday, Momen said he will have a number of meetings with his counterparts from France, Sweden and India on the sidelines of the meet. More bilateral meetings are planned, he said without naming the participants.

Asked if he is going to meet US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken, Momen said he will meet him soon in the US. Momen said he is travelling to the US in April at the invitation of the US side.

Blinken is also expected to join the G20 meet today.  China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Russian FM Sergei Lavrov is also expected to attend the meeting.

The G20 foreign ministers’ meeting will focus on strengthening multilateralism and deepening cooperation on food and energy security, sustainable development, counter-narcotics drive, global health, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and gender equality and women’s empowerment.

India, holding the G20 presidency, has invited Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as guest countries to its meetings and summit, according to the Ministry of External Affairs, India.

“We feel much honoured,” Momen said about the invitation.

Momen said, in the meeting, Bangladesh will put forward its views and suggestions including finding ways for stopping war in Ukraine and proper implementation of SDGs.

“We will present our views and suggestions. We want development in a peaceful way,” he said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been invited to attend the 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit set to begin on September 9 in New Delhi.

Hasina paid a state visit to India from September 5 to 8 last year at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

Apart from the G20 leaders, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil El-Sisi, Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, Oman Head of State Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan have been invited to the G20 Summit.