PM reaches Vienna to join IAEA conference

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived in Vienna around 7pm Monday on a two-day official visit to Austria to attend a conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). During the visit, the premier is scheduled to hold official talks with Austrian Federal Chancellor Christian Kern and meet Austrian Federal President Alexander Van Der Bellen. A special Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight carrying the prime minister and members of her entourage landed at Vienna International Airport at 2:30 pm local time. Bangladesh Ambassador to Austria and Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the UN Offices in Vienna Md Abu Zafar received the prime minister at the airport. Later, a ceremonial motorcade escorted Sheikh Hasina to Hotel Imperial where she will be staying during her two-day visit. Earlier, the prime minister left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka for Vienna at 9:10 am (BST). Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, PM's Advisers HT Imam and Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam and the chiefs of three services were present at the airport, among others, to see the premier off. In the evening today, Sheikh Hasina will attend a community event followed by an iftar party at Grand Hotel in the Austrian capital. On Tuesday, the prime minister will address the opening session of the conference titled "Conference on the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme: 60 years and Beyond- Contributing to Development". Later, she will have a meeting with IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano at his office. The premier then will hold official Talks with Austrian Federal Chancellor Christian Kern. Sheikh Hasina will also hold a meeting with Austrian Federal President Alexander Van Der Bellen at Federal Presidency. During the meetings, matters relating to enhanced cooperation in agriculture and livestock sectors, operation of direct Biman flight, foreign office consultations and bilateral trade and investment would likely to come up for discussions prominently, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali told a media briefing in Dhaka on Sunday. "Issues like global terrorism, crisis in migration, climate change and post Brexit situation in different European countries would also be discussed during the meetings," he said. Ali said Bangladesh and Austria are likely to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) during the visit. Concluding her two-day visit to Austria, Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to return home in the morning on May 31. Marking the 60th anniversary of the IAEA's Technical Cooperation programme, the international conference on the 'IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme: Sixty Years and Beyond' will take place in Vienna from May 30 to June 1. The conference will bring together representatives from member states and other partners to further develop partnership to enhance the delivery of the technical cooperation, said the organisers.