Bimstec Summit: Senior Officials’ Meeting Begins in Nepal

Kathmandu: A meeting of senior officials of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) member states kicked off here on Tuesday.

In the meeting chaired by Nepali Foreign Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi, foreign secretaries from the member's countries held talks on trade and investment, transport and communications, technology, counter-terrorism and transnational crime, agriculture, poverty alleviation and public health.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the fourth Bimstec summit on August 30-31. During his visit, his Nepali counterpart K.P. Sharma Oli is expected to hold talks with him, the Kathmandu Post reported. On Tuesday, the foreign secretaries were also expected to prepare the agenda for the main summit. Bimstec Foreign Ministers will meet on Wednesday to discuss the Kathmandu Declaration.

Nepal serves as the current chair of the sub-regional body formed in June 1997. It comprises seven countries lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal -- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. (IANS)