Prime Minister Tarique Rahman joined world leaders at the opening session of the World Leaders’ Summit of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, on Wednesday, as Bangladesh sought to expand its diplomatic, economic and defence cooperation with international partners.
The prime minister, who is attending the three-day summit, was accompanied by Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo, and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir.
Before the opening session, Tarique exchanged greetings with heads of state and government and senior representatives of international organisations at the Leaders’ Lounge.
Among those he met were Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary-General Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.
He later held courtesy meetings with Djojohadikusumo, the OIC secretary-general and Zero Waste Foundation President Samed Agirbas on the sidelines of the summit.
Tarique is scheduled to address a plenary session on 12 November. He is also expected to hold bilateral meetings and pay courtesy calls on several world leaders during the summit.
Tarique seeks deeper defence ties with Türkiye
Earlier, Tarique emphasised the need to deepen and diversify defence cooperation between Bangladesh and Türkiye during a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday night.
The two leaders discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations and expand cooperation in trade, investment, energy, minerals, climate action and the Rohingya crisis.
Tarique called for more comprehensive defence cooperation, including greater collaboration and joint investment in the defence sector.
He also stressed the need for closer dialogue to boost bilateral trade and investment, while highlighting opportunities for Turkish investors in Bangladesh’s renewable energy sector.
The two sides discussed cooperation in energy security and mineral resources and highlighted the potential for partnerships in renewable energy.
On climate change, Tarique highlighted the importance of international cooperation in helping vulnerable countries such as Bangladesh address the growing impacts of global warming. He also congratulated Türkiye on hosting COP31.
The Rohingya crisis was another key issue in the discussions. Tarique thanked Ankara for its continued support for the displaced Myanmar population, particularly its solidarity with Bangladesh at the International Court of Justice and its humanitarian assistance on the ground.
He said Türkiye’s continued engagement at the United Nations and the OIC was important to securing the safe, dignified and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingya to Myanmar. He urged Ankara to maintain its support in international forums.
Tarique meets Uzbek president
The prime minister also held a 30-minute bilateral meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the sidelines of the summit.
The two leaders discussed strengthening relations between Bangladesh and Uzbekistan, addressing the impacts of climate change and expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
Türkiye keen to cooperate on women’s health
Meanwhile, Türkiye has expressed interest in expanding cooperation with Bangladesh in areas including climate change, women’s and children’s health, renewable energy and the production of environmentally friendly products.
These issues were discussed at a meeting between Dr Zubaida Rahman, the prime minister’s wife, and Emine Erdogan, the Turkish president’s wife and chairperson of the Zero Waste Foundation.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam disclosed details of the discussions at a press conference on Tuesday at the Papillon Zeugma Relaxury Hotel in Antalya.
She said the two sides had discussed potential cooperation to address the impacts of climate change, particularly its effects on women and children.
Emine Erdogan praised the resilience and capacity of the people of Bangladesh in facing climate-related challenges and expressed interest in cooperation on waste-to-energy projects, solar power and other environmentally friendly initiatives.
She also expressed interest in sending Turkish experts to Bangladesh to support initiatives related to women’s health, according to the state minister.
