Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has embarked on her journey to Germany to attend the Munich Security Conference, during which she will also meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

This is her first foreign trip after forming government for a record-extending fourth term in a row.

The prime minister set off for Munich on a regular Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 11:15 am on Thursday, according to MM Imrul Kayes, her assistant press secretary.

The Munich Security Conference will be held at Hotel Bayerischer Hof from Feb 16-18. About 500 top representatives from 60 countries, including heads of state and government, international organisations, media, and public and private sectors will participate in the conference.

At a media briefing about Hasina’s Germany visit on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said the premier is scheduled to meet top leaders of at least seven countries and three international organisations. She will participate in the opening ceremony of the conference on Feb 16 and a high-level panel discussion on climate finance.

Besides Zelensky, whose country is at war with Russia, Hasina will meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

Hasina will also meet Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, German International Cooperation and Development Minister Svenja Schulze and the World Bank’s Senior Managing Director Axel van Trotsenburg on the sidelines of the security conference.

The premier will also attend a reception event organised by the expatriate Bangladeshis living in Germany.

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and top government officials are accompanying the prime minister on the visit. They are scheduled to leave Munich on Feb 18 and return to Dhaka on Feb 19.