BSS-45 Mahmood calls for gearing up BIMSTEC area of cooperation

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BSS-45

FM-BIMSTEC

Mahmood calls for gearing up BIMSTEC area of cooperation

DHAKA, Aug 29, 2018 (BSS) – Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali today urged the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) foreign ministers to review the structure of the organization particularly in areas of cooperation.

The foreign minister made this appeal at the 16th BIMSTEC foreign ministers meeting held at Kathmandu in Nepal.

Nepalese Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali presided over the meeting, said an official press release.

During the meeting, Mahmood Ali reiterated Bangladesh’s commitment to the BIMSTEC cooperation and briefed the meeting about the activities and events Bangladesh undertook during the last four years since the 3rd summit held in Myanmar in 2014 including hosting of its secretariat here.

He also stressed on cooperation in certain key sectors such as connectivity, energy, poverty alleviation, climate change and people-to-people, among others.

Prioritization and rationalization of the sectors and inclusion of new areas such as Blue Economy, Mountain Economy, participation of civil and business sectors cooperation also was discussed in the meeting.

The foreign ministers finalized the agenda for the 4th BIMSTEC Summit starting tomorrow.

It includes a text of the proposed joint declaration by the leaders of BIMSTEC under the theme, “Towards a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable Bay of Bengal region”, an MoU on the establishment of BIMSTEC power grid inter-connection.

BSS/PR/OG/MRU/2136hrs