President Mohammed Shahabuddin is scheduled to depart for Jakarta, Indonesia, tomorrow morning (Monday 4th September) to participate in the 43rd ‘ASEAN Summit’ and the 18th ‘East Asia Summit’ from September 5 to 7. Following the summit, the Head of State will proceed to Singapore for a health check-up on September 8.
According to President’s Press Secretary Md Joynal Abedin, President Shahabuddin, accompanied by his spouse Prof Dr Rebecca Sultana and other delegation members, will board a regular Biman Bangladesh Airlines aircraft departing from Hazrat Shahjalal (R.) International Airport (HSIA) at 8:30 am for Jakarta.
During his visit, Chairperson of Bangladesh National Advisory Committee on Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Saima Wazed and Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen will also be part of the President’s delegation.
The President has been invited by the President of the Republic of Indonesia and ASEAN Chair for 2023, Joko Widodo, to attend the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit and the East Asia Summit at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC). The ASEAN Summit will span three days and carries the theme of “Asean Matters: Epicentrum of Growth.”
President Mohammed Shahabuddin’s accommodation in Jakarta will be at the Presidential Suite of Hotel Le Meridian. On the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, he will participate in the ‘East Asia Summit’ on September 7, where he will deliver a concluding speech on “Strengthening Regional Architecture to Support the Epicentrum of Growth from the Perspective of IORA” as the “Guest of Chair.”
The President will also engage in separate bilateral meetings with President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, as well as state leaders from Thailand, Malaysia, and Timor-Leste. On September 6, he is set to attend a ‘Gala Dinner’ hosted by the Indonesian president at Hutan Kota Gelora Bung Karno.
Joko Widodo will chair 12 meetings during the 43rd ASEAN Summit, a biannual gathering attended by leaders from ASEAN member nations and international dignitaries. The summit will cover a wide range of topics, including the South China Sea, nuclear weapons-free zones, maritime outlook, Indo-Pacific cooperation, and issues concerning Myanmar.
The summit is also expected to result in important agreements related to infrastructure strengthening, food security, the blue and green economy, digital economy, and payment ecosystems. Additionally, two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) on energy and health collaboration between Bangladesh and Indonesia may be signed during President Shahabuddin’s visit.
President Shahabuddin and his spouse will conclude their visit by traveling to Singapore for a health check-up. The President is anticipated to return home on September 16, according to the revised schedule.
