Nepal is gearing up for the fourth Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) in Kathmandu in August. Nepal is the current chair of the regional grouping.

Secretary General of Bimstec M Shahidul lslam on Wednesday held separate meetings with Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali and Foreign Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi at the ministry. Islam is in Nepal on a three-day visit.

Welcoming the newly appointed secretary general of the grouping,  Minister Gyawali reiterated Nepal’s commitment to Bimstec and as a current chair, expressed willingness to convene the fourth Bimstec Summit in Kathmandu at a time convenient to all the member states.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Minister Gyawali appreciated the Secretariat’s role in coordinating the activities under the framework of Bimstec. He also emphasised that cooperation under Bimstec should deliver tangible results for the prosperity of the people in the region. Secretary General Islam apprised Minister Gyawali of various activities of Bimstec and expressed the grouping’s readiness to extend all kind of cooperation to the member states, especially to the chair for convening the fourth Bimstec Summit.

Earlier, he had called on Foreign Secretary Bairagi at the latter’s office. During the meeting, the two discussed the whole gamut of cooperation under the Bimstec Framework.

The foreign secretary highlighted the need to strengthen the regional collaboration under BIMSTEC by deepening cooperation on core areas such as connectivity, trade, energy, investment and tourism. Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Thailand and Sri Lanka are the members of the regional grouping.