UK minister arrives today to promote business

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Baroness Warsi

The UK Foreign Office Minister Baroness Warsi is due in the city today (Monday), reports bdnews24.com. During her visit, she will call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia and Foreign Minister Dipu Moni. It is her first visit to Bangladesh as Senior Minister of State in the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office, says a British High Commission media release. It says she will promote business links with Bangladesh and officially open the new prime time visa service. The prime time visa service, which came into effect on January 19, allows people to submit their applications on Saturdays. The Minister will travel to Sylhet to meet members of the local community, where many have close business and family ties with the UK. "The UK government is committed to increasing bilateral trade and, with that in mind, the Minister will explore with businessmen and experts from a range of organisations how to increase trade and investment and the role it can play to support further economic growth," it says. She will also look at how it complements the large UK aid development programme and see how UK aid is supporting people in Bangladesh to lift themselves out of poverty. Warsi was appointed in her current position on September 04 last year. Her foreign policy responsibilities cover Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Central Asia, human rights, the International Criminal Court, the UN and other international organisations. She became a Member of the House of Lords in 2007. In 2010, she became a member of the Privy Council and was the first Muslim to serve in a UK cabinet.