PM Tarique Rahman to Visit Türkiye for COP31 Climate Summit

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will leave Dhaka for Türkiye on Tuesday to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP31. During the official visit from November 10 to 12, he will lead the Bangladesh delegation and deliver an address at the conference's plenary session.

The summit is scheduled to take place in Antalya, Türkiye, on November 11 and 12. The Prime Minister is set to deliver Bangladesh's statement at the plenary session on November 12. He is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with several heads of state and government.

At a press briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday (November 9), newly appointed Foreign Secretary Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury outlined preparations and details of the Prime Minister's visit.

The Prime Minister's delegation will include his wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman; the Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change; two state ministers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Prime Minister's special assistant for environment, forest and climate change; relevant government officials; media representatives; and other distinguished individuals.

The Foreign Secretary said arrangements for the Prime Minister's other engagements alongside the summit were being finalised. Initiatives have been taken to arrange bilateral meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom. A possible meeting with the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is also being considered.

The meetings may cover strengthening bilateral relations, expanding trade and investment, cooperation in addressing climate change and other issues of mutual interest.

"We hope these engagements will create new opportunities to advance Bangladesh's economic and geopolitical interests," Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury said.

Asked about the possibility of a courtesy meeting between the Prime Minister and the Turkish President, the Foreign Secretary said such a meeting was possible and could provide an opportunity to discuss broader cooperation between the two countries. However, he noted that it was unlikely that specific projects or agreements would be finalised during a courtesy meeting on the sidelines of a multilateral summit.

Asked whether Turkish company Celebi's interest in providing ground-handling services at the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, as a partner of Biman Bangladesh Airlines under a Japanese consortium, would be discussed, he said detailed discussions on that specific proposal were unlikely during such meetings.

On compensation for climate-related loss and damage, the Foreign Secretary said Bangladesh presents estimates of its losses at international forums to raise awareness and facilitate international cooperation. He added that various assessments of the damage caused by climate change in Bangladesh exist, and presenting them internationally helps draw attention to the country's circumstances.

At the plenary session, the Prime Minister will outline Bangladesh's position and expectations on climate justice, the historical responsibility of developed countries, climate finance, adaptation, addressing loss and damage, and climate-resilient sustainable development.

The Foreign Secretary noted that Bangladesh accounts for only 0.05 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions but is among the countries most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. Ensuring climate justice, he said, is therefore one of Bangladesh's key priorities.

Other priorities include financing for adaptation, addressing loss and damage, and ensuring effective implementation of climate finance commitments made by developed countries.

At the summit, Bangladesh will showcase its achievements in building climate resilience and share its experiences in addressing climate change impacts across South Asia and the wider Asian region.

Bangladesh is also planning to establish a "Jute Pavilion" in the summit's Green Zone to highlight the versatile uses of jute, its environmentally 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 planned during the conference.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will organise two side events in the Blue Zone on November 12 and 13. One will focus on the gender-specific risks faced by women in Bangladesh due to climate change. The other will discuss opportunities and challenges in expanding the use of environmentally friendly and biodegradable jute products as alternatives to synthetic polymer-based products.

Through these initiatives, Bangladesh aims to draw international attention to the particular risks climate change poses to women and highlight the importance of jute-based products in environmental protection.

The Foreign Secretary said Türkiye is presiding over this year's summit, while Australia is serving as co-chair of the formal climate negotiation process.

He added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and other relevant ministries and agencies had coordinated preparations for Bangladesh's participation. The country's positions and priorities were determined through inter-ministerial discussions and consultations with various stakeholders.

Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury expressed hope that Bangladesh's participation under the Prime Minister's leadership would strengthen the country's position in international climate diplomacy and provide an opportunity to highlight its efforts, experience and achievements in building climate resilience.

Additional Foreign Secretary (Public Diplomacy and Other Priority Issues) A.K.M. Shahidul Karim and other senior ministry officials were present at the briefing.