New Delhi, July 12 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers and discussed ways to strengthen regional cooperation, including connectivity, trade and security among other things.
In a post on X, the PM said that he conveyed India’s full support for the upcoming BIMSTEC summit in Thailand.
“Glad to meet BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers. Discussed ways to strengthen regional cooperation, including connectivity, energy, trade, health, agriculture, science, security and people-to-people exchanges. Conveyed full support to Thailand for a successful Summit,” the PM said.
The Foreign Minister of Bhutan DN Dhungye, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka Tharaka Balasuriya, the Foreign Secretary of Nepal Sewa Lamsal, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Myanmar U Than Swe, the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Hasan Mahmud, Thailand Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa and BIMSTEC Secretary General Indra Mani Pandey participated in the Second BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers Retreat in Delhi on July 11-12.
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), brings together seven countries of South and South East Asia for multifaceted cooperation.
The BIMSTEC Charter entered into force on 20 May 2024, providing legal and institutional framework for meaningful cooperation and deeper integration of the Bay of Bengal region.
It enables BIMSTEC to partner with other interested countries/organisations and admit Observers and new Members.
BIMSTEC includes seven member countries, five from South Asia and two from Southeast Asia-- India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Thailand -- totalling 1.73 billion people with a combined GDP of USD 5.2 trillion, as per available data from 2023.
The current BIMSTEC Secretary General is Indramani Pandey, a seasoned Indian diplomat.
BIMSTEC, formed on the June 6, 1997, focuses on 14 priority sectors. The organization, akin to SAARC, is negotiating a free trade agreement, and the leadership rotates alphabetically. The permanent secretariat is based in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
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