BIMSTEC Ministerial meeting to be held in Kathmandu today

The working session of the 15th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, BIMSTEC, Ministerial meeting will begin in Kathmandu today. The participating ministers will review the progress in identified fourteen areas and deliberate on ways to accelerate cooperation. A joint statement will also be issued after the meeting. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is representing India in the meeting.

Trade, Investment, Energy, Transport, Tourism, Poverty alleviation and Counter-terrorism are the key areas expected to be focused in the meeting. In his inaugural address yesterday Prime Minister of Nepal Sher Bahadur Deuba



stressed upon to focus on deepening rather than widening the areas of cooperation.

After working session External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will have bilateral meetings with Bhutanese and Sri Lankan ministers. Various issues are likely to be discussed in the meeting. She will also attend a special programme “ India@70” organised by Indian Embassy to mark 70 years of Independence.

BIMSTEC is an international organisation involving a group of countries in South Asia and South East Asia. The member countries of BIMSTEC are India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal.