Yunus to join UNGA session in New York on first overseas trip

If he was heading to Washington, he could have got more work done, the foreign advisor says

Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus will head to the US for his first trip abroad after taking the reins of the interim government.

He will be making a brief trip to take part in the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Foreign Advisor Md Touhid Hossain said in a briefing at the Secretariat on Sunday.

“It has been decided that the chief advisor will attend the UN General Assembly,” he said in response to a question. “I am going to speak with him now. But he will only take a brief trip before returning.”

“If he was heading to Washington, he could have gotten more work done, but he will have to return from New York soon,” the foreign advisor said.

Asked who he would meet during the trip, the foreign advisor said: “If we go, there will be meetings. Some talks are happening, some meetings will take place, that I can say. But I can’t discuss any specifics.

"Not all heads of state go in all circumstances. It will follow the format in New York. He isn’t going to Washington.”

The foreign advisor did not signal when Yunus would make the trip.

“Let a bit more time pass, then we will know.”

The UN General Assembly usually meets on the third Tuesday of September every year. The heads of state and government of its member countries attend the assembly.