PM co-chairs Asian African Summit's session

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina co-chaired the Plenary Session IV of the ongoing Asian African Summit 2015 held at Jakarta this morning.

The day's proceedings of the Summit of the Asian African leaders began with the Plenary Session IV at 8:30 am this morning with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as the co-chair. 

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque were present on the occasion. 

The other co-chair of this session was Prime Minister of Egypt Eng Ibrahim Mehlab.

The speakers at the plenary session discussed various ways aimed at sharing experience and strengthening partnership and discussed strategies to overcome common challenges and boost economic development in both continents through stronger South-South Cooperation.

The Asian-African summit and a series of events under the theme "Strengthening South-South Cooperation to Promote World Peace and Prosperity" are being held in Jakarta and Bandung on April 22 to 24.

During this Plenary Session IV, President of the House of Representative of Libya Akila Saleh Eissa, Vice President of the Philippines Jejomar C Binay, Minister of Communication and Multimedia of Malaysia Shabery Cheek, Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs of Pakistan Sartaj Aziz and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria Aminu Bashir Wali, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Syura Council of Bahrain Ghanem Al Buainain delivered their addresses among others.

The summit of the Asian and African nations started in the Indonesian capital Jakarta. 

Thirty-two world leaders and top dignitaries from 92 other countries are attending the event.

After co-chairing the 4th Plenary Session on the last day of her tour, Sheikh Hasina is expected to have bilateral meetings today with Palestine Prime Minister Dr Rami Hamdallah, Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala.

On completion of her three-day tour, the Prime Minister is expected to leave Jakarta for home on Thursday evening at 7:00 pm local time by a VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines. 

She is expected to return home around 11:00 pm (BST).

Bangladesh Ambassador to Indonesia Md Nazmul Quaunine and Indonesian Ambassador to Bangladesh Wiranata-atmadja will see the Prime Minister off at the Soekarno Hatta International Airport (SHIA) in Jakarta.

The summit is being held in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Asian-African Conference. 

The first Asian-African Conference was held in 1955 in the Indonesian city of Bandung in the midst of emerging psychological cold war between two blocks - East and West. 

Later, the Bandung Spirt was turned into new Asian-African Strategic Partnership in 2005.

The Asian-African Conference Commemoration Indonesia 2015 aims to conclude three outcome documents, namely document contained Bandung Message, document on reinvigorating NAASP, and declaration regarding Asian-African nations' support to Palestine.