Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a bilateral meeting in Antalya, Türkiye, on Tuesday to strengthen ties between the two countries.
The meeting began at 7:15pm local time at the Maxx Royal Hotel and lasted around 30 minutes, Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu said.
Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman and State Minister-1 for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir were also present at the meeting.
Earlier, the prime minister arrived in Antalya in the afternoon on a three-day visit to attend the World Leaders’ Summit of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31), scheduled for November 11-12, and hold talks with leaders of various countries.
A Turkish Airlines flight carrying the prime minister, his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman and other members of the entourage landed at Antalya Airport at 4:03pm local time after a stopover in Istanbul.
Tarique departed Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 7:30am Bangladesh time.
The UN climate change conference, COP31, officially began in Antalya on Monday and will continue until November 20.
As part of the conference, the two-day World Leaders’ Summit will be held on November 11-12.
The prime minister is scheduled to address a plenary session on November 12 and hold several bilateral meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the summit, Foreign Secretary Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury said at a briefing in Dhaka on Monday.
In his address, Tarique is expected to outline Bangladesh’s position and priorities on climate justice, the historical responsibility of developed countries, climate finance, adaptation, loss and damage, and climate-resilient sustainable development.
Chowdhury said Bangladesh’s key priorities include securing adaptation finance, addressing loss and damage, and ensuring the effective implementation of developed countries’ climate finance commitments.
Although Bangladesh accounts for only 0.05% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it remains among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, he said, adding that securing climate justice is a key priority for the country.
Bangladesh will also highlight its achievements in climate resilience and share its experience in addressing climate impacts across South Asia and the wider Asian region.
As part of its participation, Bangladesh has taken the initiative to establish a jute pavilion in the conference’s Green Zone to showcase the versatility of jute, its environment-friendly properties and its potential as an alternative to plastic.
A joint declaration between Bangladesh and Türkiye on the use and promotion of jute and jute products is also expected to be signed during the conference, the foreign secretary said.
The Foreign Ministry will organise two side events in the Blue Zone on November 12 and 13. One will focus on gender-based vulnerability in Bangladesh caused by climate change, while the other will address challenges in promoting environment-friendly, biodegradable and zero-waste jute products.
The prime minister is scheduled to leave Antalya for Dhaka at 4:15pm local time on November 12. His flight is expected to arrive in Dhaka at 5:50am on Friday.