Foreign Minister Visits CRI

Foreign Minister Visits CRI

The Honourable Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Mr. Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, M.P, today came to Centre for Research and Information (CRI) for an informal visit. During the two hours long visit, the Honourable Minister was appraised of the various research, outreach and networking activities of CRI and handed over the various publications by CRI, in particular those dealing with international affairs and diplomacy. Discussions were also held about possible areas of future cooperation between the organization and the Ministry and the Vision 2021 internship programme, under which CRI is arranging internships for promising youths at various ministries, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the visit, the Hon. Minister shared some rare insights into his engagements with foreign heads of states and foreign dignitaries vis-a-vis Bangladesh and the current government. He recalled with fondness the praises Bangladesh in general, and Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received, from the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and British Prime Minister David Cameron in the year 2014.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, on the sidelines of the 10th ASEM Summit, held in Milan, Italy in October 2014, met with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and asked her how she and her government had managed to increase the number of female enrollment in schools to such an extent that Bangladesh has now more girls in primary schools than boys. The Bangladesh Premier asked her to come and visit Bangladesh to experience the success story. Similar praised about women empowerment came from the British Prime Minister David Cameron during his meeting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, at 10, Downing Street, on the sidelines of the Girl Summit 2014 held in July 2014, in London.

At the sidelines of the 18th SAARC Summit held in Kathmandu, Nepal, in November 2014, the Bangladesh Prime MInister Sheikh Hasina met with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, during which the latter praised the former’s government for doing amazing work as regards production and distribution of power in even the most rural parts of Bangladesh, including amazing progress made in the field of solar energy. It should be noted that power production in Bangladesh has been more than doubled during the current government’s tenure as well as setting up the world’s largest solar home systems.

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