Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called upon all concerned to find ways to stop the Russia-Ukraine war while holding a meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) 2024 on Saturday.
"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina always says we are against all kinds of war. Today, time and again she discussed about how the war can be stopped while holding talks with Zelensky," said Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud at a news briefing after the meeting at Hotel Bayerischer Hof, reports UNB.
During the meeting, both leaders also discussed issues of mutual and global interests.
Hasan said that the two leaders also discussed how the attacks on innocent men and women in Gaza can be stopped. The prime minister reminded all that war cannot bring wellbeing for any one.
"Others can be benefitted from the war. But the war cannot bring any welfare for the countries involved in war and their people get affected by the war," Hasan quoted the prime minister as saying.
Along with the foreign minister, Senior Secretary of the ministry Masud Bin Momen, among others, were also present at the meeting.
Hasina & Scholz discuss bilateral issues
Later in the day, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the MSC conference venue.
During the meeting, the two leaders expressed satisfaction over the existing relations between the two countries and discussed various issues of mutual and global interest, according to the meeting sources.
Foreign ministers of India, UK meet PM Hasina
Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday called on Prime Minister Sheikh on the sidelines of the MSC at the conference venue during which, they discussed the issues of mutual and global interests, according to sources close to the meeting.
The prime minister stressed the need for expanding business between Bangladesh and India using their own currencies, reports UNB.
"We can do our business through exchanges of Bangladeshi Taka and Indian Rupee. It has already started, but we have to expand it further so that we can increase our businesses," she said during the meeting, according to Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud.
He said the prime minister and Jaishankar attached importance to doing business between the two friendly countries through their own currencies to reduce dependency on other currencies like the US dollar.
Bangladesh and India have excellent bilateral relations and it has elevated to another height under the leadership of the prime ministers of the two countries, he said.
"The relations between the countries are getting stronger day by day," Hasan said, adding that the two leaders discussed the issues during the meeting.
Quoting Jaishankar, Hasan said, "Our relations will further be closer in the days ahead."
Jaishankar also appreciated the premier’s guidance for taking Bangladesh-India friendship forward.
Later, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of UK David Cameron also met with Sheikh Hasina at the same venue. Hasan and the foreign secretary were present at both meetings.
Earlier on Friday, she held meetings with the prime ministers of Qatar and Denmark.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived in Munich on Thursday on a three-day official visit to join the Munich Security Conference 2024. This is her first official tour abroad since being re-elected as prime minister for the fourth consecutive term.
Upon completion of the tour, the premier will leave Munich today and is scheduled to reach Dhaka tomorrow.
