Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman left for Russia on Sunday morning as Dhaka and Moscow prepare to hold talks on bilateral and international issues in Moscow on Monday.

Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir is accompanying the Foreign Minister, a senior official at the Ministry said.

Although the Russian side had announced the visit much earlier, Dhaka officially confirmed it only after his departure.

This is the Foreign Minister’s first official visit since being elected President of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced the three-day official visit by the Bangladesh Foreign Minister.

“At the invitation of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Khalilur Rahman will pay an official visit to Russia on June 7-9,” she said.

The spokesperson said the two ministers will hold talks on current bilateral and international issues on June 8.

“A special emphasis will be placed on our interaction at the UN, as Khalilur Rahman has been elected President of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly,” the Russian side said.

According to the Russian Embassy in Dhaka, the programme also includes meetings with top officials from the Federation Council, Rosatom State Corporation, and a number of other organisations.

The Foreign Minister is scheduled to return home on June 9.