BIMSTEC members' senior officials meeting before 4th Summit

Kathmandu: A meeting of the senior officials of member states of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative of Multisectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) is taking place in Kathmandu tomorrow.

The daylong meeting is scheduled to kick off at 9:00 am to make preparations for upcoming fourth Summit of the sub-regional cooperation scheduled to be held at the end of this month.

BIMSTEC General Secretary and Secretaries of Foreign/External Ministries and high-level representatives (if no condition for secretary to come) were expected to arrive here by this evening, according to Joint Spokesperson at Foreign Ministry, Ram Babu Dhakal.

The members of BIMSTEC, founded in 1997 with an objective of achieving economic growth and prosperity through mutual cooperation and understanding, are arriving here for the fourth Summit planned for August 30-31. It comprises seven countries- Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan-dependent on the Bay of Bengal.

Trade and investment, transport and communication, energy, tourism, technology, fisheries, agriculture, public health, poverty-alleviation, counter-terrorism and transnational crime, environment and disaster management, people-to-people contact, climate change and cultural cooperation are its priority areas.