Chief Adviser invited to attend D-8 Summit in Cairo this December

Egypt has invited Chief Advisor Prof Muhammad Yunus to attend the D-8 Summit to be held in the North African country in December.

Egyptian Ambassador to Bangladesh, Omar Fahmy, handed over the invitation of the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to the Chief Adviser at the Chief Adviser’s office in Tejgaon, Dhaka, on Wednesday.

The ambassador said government heads from at least five countries—Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and Nigeria—had confirmed their participation in the summit to be held from December 16 to 19 in Cairo.

He said an important sideline meeting in the summit will discuss the way to support Palestinians against Israeli aggression.

The ambassador also conveyed his government's support for Bangladesh's Interim Government in its efforts for democratic transition after the student-led mass uprising in July-August.

Prof Yunus welcomed the support and expressed his hope that Egypt and Bangladesh will work hand-in-hand in different international fora, such as the OIC and D-8.

The Chief Adviser said he would seriously consider participating in the D-8 summit in Egypt.

Ambassador Fahmy hoped that business delegates from Bangladesh would also visit Egypt during the D-8 Summit.

He said that Egypt wants to benefit from Bangladesh's experience in ready-made garment and pharmaceutical sectors and also learn jute cultivation.

He said that the two countries should expedite work on pending agreements and MoUs in the fields of agriculture, textiles, and pharmaceuticals.

The ambassador confirmed Egypt's support for Bangladesh's candidature to the non-permanent seat of the UN Security Council for 2031-32.

He also sought Dhaka's support for Cairo's candidacy for the post of the Director General of the UNESCO.

He also emphasised the renewal of the Foreign Office Consultations between Bangladesh and Egypt.

The first FOC between the two countries was held in 2018, but the second FOC has remained pending since 2021.