D-8 Summit
Gowher flies to Pakistan
Dipu Moni not going
Prime Minister's International Affairs Adviser Gowher Rizvi yesterday left Dhaka for Pakistan to represent Bangladesh at the D-8 Summit scheduled to be held in Islamabad on November 22.
He will also attend the ministerial meeting of the grouping of eight developing Muslim countries -- Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.
Gowher will lead Bangladesh at the ministerial meeting as Foreign Minister Dipu Moni could not attend the summit.
Dipu Moni skipped visiting Pakistan as she was taking preparations for a four-day bilateral visit to Russia from November 22, foreign ministry sources said.
Officials at the ministry said Dipu Moni's visit is likely to pave the way for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's planned visit to Moscow in next January.
Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes also left Dhaka for Islamabad early yesterday to assist Gowher Rizvi, they said.
On November 9, Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar handed over an invitation letter, on behalf of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to participate in the 8th D-8 Summit.
The Prime Minister's Office, however, informed Pakistan that Hasina was unable to attend the summit because of conflict in her schedule, and also announced that adviser Gowher Rizvi will represent her.
Pakistan will take over the chairmanship of the D-8 for the next two years at the summit, and the forum will adopt its charter after 16 years of its inception in 1997.
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