New York, Sep 22 (V7N)- Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will not hold a separate bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump during his ongoing visit to New York for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir has said.
Kabir made the remarks while responding to journalists' questions about whether there was any possibility of a separate meeting between the two leaders during the prime minister's UNGA visit.
He said the visit is primarily multilateral and focused on the United Nations General Assembly. Bilateral issues, he added, would be addressed through appropriate channels when an opportunity for a bilateral visit arises.
The state minister noted that President Trump had previously written to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and expressed interest in meeting him. However, he said such an engagement would constitute a bilateral meeting.
Kabir said the matter could be considered at a later stage through a bilateral visit, depending on a suitable time and the convenience of both sides.
He stressed that the main purpose of the current trip is to participate in the UN General Assembly and that there is limited scope for bilateral discussions outside the UN agenda during the visit.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman arrived in New York to attend the 81st UNGA session, where he is scheduled to participate in a series of high-level meetings and engagements.
Earlier this month, Kabir had said there was a possibility of a meeting between Tarique Rahman and Trump during the UNGA engagements, while noting that details of such meetings could be finalised later.
The latest statement indicates that any potential Trump-Tarique bilateral engagement would instead be pursued separately from the current UNGA-focused visit.
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