Canadian Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency Harjit S. Sajjan began his four-day visit to Bangladesh on Friday.

The Canadian government announced that he will travel to Bangladesh, the Philippines and Qatar from February 24 to March 5, 2023.

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen welcomed him.at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport upon his arrival.

Sajjan will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen during his stay in Bangladesh.

He will also visit Rohingya Camp in Cox's Bazar, among other places.

In Bangladesh and the Philippines, he will also visit Canada-funded projects and meet with development and humanitarian partners and beneficiaries.

He will discuss potential areas of cooperation aligned with Canada's recently announced Indo-Pacific Strategy and, in Bangladesh, Canada's strategy to respond to the Rohingya and Myanmar crises.

Minister Sajjan will have meeting with Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at State guesthouse Padma on February 27, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Seheli Sabrin told reporters on Thursday.

Bangladesh hopes that the visit will help enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

In the Philippines, he will be accompanied by Rechie Valdez, Member of Parliament for Mississauga-Streetsville.

During his visit, Minister Sajjan will engage with various officials on shared priorities such as climate action, food security, green and inclusive growth, disaster response and readiness, and advancing gender equality.

While in Qatar, Minister Sajjan will take part in the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, at which he will highlight Canada's partnerships that aim to reduce poverty and advance sustainable development in least developed countries.

"Our world is facing the effects of climate change and food insecurity, as well as increasing humanitarian needs. I look forward to working with my counterparts and many partners over the coming days to discuss how we can continue to work together to effectively address these shared priorities," said Sajjan.

Canada is a long-standing development partner of Bangladesh.

Current programming supports mutual priorities in the areas of gender equality, including the empowerment of women and girls; health, including sexual and reproductive health and rights; and skills training and support to the ready-made garment sector.