<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today left here for Rome, Italy on a three-day official visit to attend UN Food Systems Summit+2 Stocktaking Moment.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A regular commercial flight of Qatar Airways, carrying the premier and her entourage members, took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at 05:05am, PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told BSS.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The flight is scheduled to land at Rome Fiumicino Airport of Italy at 02:05pm local time (06:05pm BST) after making around one hour stopover at Hamad International Airport in Doha of Qatar.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is joining the United Nations Food Systems +2 Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+2) conference at the invitation of the United Nations (UN) Secretary General António Guterres.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The UNFSS+2 conference will be held at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Italy on July 24-26 with the theme “Sustainable Food Systems for People, Planet and Prosperity: Diverse Pathways in a Shared Journey”.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In a media briefing on July 20, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said two Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) - “Cooperation in the Field of Energy” and “Cultural Exchange Programme” - are likely to be signed between Bangladesh and Italy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He said the prime minister is scheduled to address the official opening of the conference at the FAO Headquarters as the Special Guest Speaker on July 24.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Heads of state, heads of government, agriculture specialists, food producers, scientists, researchers and other stakeholders from different countries will attend the forum.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After the opening ceremony, the premier will participate in the plenary session titled “Food Systems and Climate Action”.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the evening of the same day, she will also join the inaugural ceremony of Bangladesh-Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Room in FAO headquarters.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">FAO Director General Qu Dongyu and President of International Fund of Agricultural Development (IFAD) Alvaro Lario will also pay courtesy call on the prime minister.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On July 25, the prime minister will attend the “Regional Envoys Conference” organised by Bangladesh ambassadors stationed in 15 European countries.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In addition, Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with her Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni and the MoUs will be signed there.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She will also join a community reception hosted by the expatriate Bangladeshi in Italy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder, members of parliament and government high officials will join the UNFSS+2 as prime minister's entourage members.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The prime minister is scheduled to leave Rome for home on July 26.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">UNFSS+2 is commencing with the aim of reviewing the progress of the implementation of the recommendations adopted at the “United Nations Food Systems Summit” held on September 23, 2021.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">During the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit, the prime minister joined virtually and proposed five point recommendations. BSS</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>