BIMSTEC Secretary General Lekphell on 4-day visit to Nepal, appreciates Nepal’s contribution
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Expressing Nepal’s commitment to contribute constructively to help BIMSTEC make further advances, Minister Khadka underlined the need to ensure that the Fifth Summit to be held in 2022 builds on the progress made thus far
On his four-day visit to Kathmandu, Secretary-General of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) H.E. Tenzin Lekphell appreciated Nepal’s contribution in advancing the process of the organisation.
Lekphell earlier called on Foreign Minister Dr Narayan Khadka and stated that the Fourth BIMSTEC Summit held in Kathmandu was an important milestone in streamlining the areas of cooperation and institutional strengthening of the organisation.
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The last summit took place in Kathmandu in 2018 with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other member leaders attending the meet.
Expressing Nepal’s commitment to contribute constructively to help BIMSTEC make further advances, Minister Khadka underlined the need to ensure that the Fifth Summit to be held in 2022 builds on the progress made thus far and provides significant breakthroughs towards realising the regional aspirations.
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Both sides assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on economies and societies in the region and underlined the imperative to work in closer cooperation through the BIMSTEC framework.
Earlier in the day, the Secretary-General called on Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba during which ways to build on the progress made thus far and further consolidate the BIMSTEC process were discussed. The Secretary-General is later scheduled to call on President Bidya Devi Bhandari.
Last year in November, Sri Lanka had called for an in-person BIMSTEC summit, however, the date is yet to be decided.
Founded in 1997, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an inter-regional grouping that seeks to foster regional and economic cooperation among nations in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal.
The bloc comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and India.