<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left here for Belgium today to attend the "Global Gateway Forum" to be held in its capital Brussels on October 25-26 at the invitation of the European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A commercial flight (BG 207) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the prime minister and her entourage members departed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), Dhaka at 11:10 am.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The flight is scheduled to arrive at the Brussels Zaventem Airport at 1845 hrs on October 24 (Brussels time).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">During the visit, the prime minister will have a number of meetings with leaders of European countries on the sidelines of the Forum.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the morning on October 25, she will have a bilateral meeting with Executive Vice President of the EC and European Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Bangladesh premier will also hold a bilateral meeting with the EC President Ursula von der Leyen.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After this bilateral meeting, a loan support agreement of 350 million Euros on the renewable energy sector will be signed between the Bangladesh government's Economic Relations Department (ERD) and European Investment Bank.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">A grant agreement of 45 million Euros for Bangladesh's renewable energy sector will be signed between the European Commission and European Investment Bank.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And a 12 million Euros grant agreement between the Bangladesh government and European Commission will also be signed for Bangladesh's renewable energy sector.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">During this visit, the Bangladesh government and EC will sign five different grant agreements of 70 million Euros on Bangladesh's Social sectors.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the same day, Sheikh Hasina will attend the Global Gateway Forum's opening plenary session and deliver her speech.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the afternoon, European Investment Bank President Dr. Werner Hoyer will hold a meeting with the premier.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">EC Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic and EC Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen will pay a courtesy call on the Bangladesh premier.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the evening, the prime minister will attend a dinner hosted by Ursula von der Leyen in honor of the heads of state and government participating in the Global Gateway Forum.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On October 26, she will hold a bilateral meeting with her Belgian counterpart Alexander De Croo.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The prime minister will also have a bilateral meeting with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the afternoon on the same day, Sheikh Hasina will attend a reception accorded to her by Bangladeshi expatriates living in Belgium.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">TV channel EURONEWS and POLITICO are scheduled to take interview of the prime minister.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She is scheduled to return Dhaka on October 27. BSS</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>