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Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. File Photo: Collected
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman joined the World Leaders’ Summit of the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) at the Antalya Exhibition Centre in Antalya, Türkiye, on Wednesday afternoon.
He joined the summit around 12:15pm local time, said PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu.
More than 150 heads of state and government are taking part in the two-day summit, which will end on Thursday, he said.
The prime minister was accompanied by his wife, Zubaida Rahman, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo and State Minister-1 for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir.
Tarique reached the conference venue at 10:10am local time, where he was welcomed by the organisers.
Before the opening session, he exchanged greetings and pleasantries with heads of state and government and senior representatives of international organisations at the Leaders’ Lounge.
He also held brief, informal conversations with world leaders on issues of mutual interest.
After the World Leaders’ Summit, Tarique is scheduled to attend a Zero Waste Roundtable meeting in the afternoon.
On the sidelines of the conference, the prime minister is also scheduled to hold separate meetings with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng, Shiplu said.
In the evening, he will attend a dinner hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in honour of world leaders.
The prime minister arrived in Antalya on Tuesday to attend the conference.
World leaders are expected to discuss concrete measures to tackle global warming amid growing concerns that international efforts to address the climate crisis remain inadequate and too slow.
The conference, hosted by Türkiye with Australia leading the negotiations, officially opened on Monday and will run through 20 November.
The discussions are also taking place amid the war in Iran, which has pushed up global prices of fuel and petroleum-based products, including fertilisers and pesticides.
The price hikes have prompted governments to reconsider their energy policies and investment in renewable sources such as wind and solar power.