SOM sets agenda for BIMSTEC Summit

Connectivity, poverty alleviation on focus

Kathmandu, Aug. 28: The 19^th Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is concluded on Tuesday with the assessment of reports of various mechanisms working in the areas of connectivity, trade, health, poverty alleviation and crime-control.

The meeting held here considered the reports related to customs cooperation among the member states, connectivity, technology, counter terrorism and transnational crime, agriculture, poverty alleviation, public health and secretariat strengthening, Bharat Raj Poudyal, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), said at a press briefing following the 19^th Session of the SOM.

The SOM has prepared the agenda for the Fourth BIMSTEC Summit 2018 which will be held on Thursday and Friday.

High government officials from the member states of the regional body – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand – participated in the meeting.

The agenda will be further refined and finalised by the BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting on Wednesday.

Poudyal said that the meeting deliberated on the BIMSTEC priority areas such as Charter of the regional mechanism, transmission line, poverty alleviation, transportation and communication.

The meeting has agreed in principle regarding developing the charter of the organisation. Nepal, current president of the BIMSTEC has proposed to develop the charter.

He also said that BIMSTEC senior officials had agreed to review the 14 priority sector of the initiative. The existing sectors will be integrated, some will be removed and some new areas will be added.

Some of the reports considered by the SOM are Customs cooperation, Transport connectivity, Coastal shipping, BIMSTEC Motor Vehicle Agreement, Establishment of BIMSTEC technology transfer facility, Counter terrorism and transnational crime, Agricultural cooperation, Poverty alleviation and BIMSTEC task force on traditional medicine.

“The meeting also discussed about exploring the possibility of establishing BIMSTEC Development Fund, and initiating process for the developing rules of procedures of BIMSTEC Mechanisms,” said Poudyal.

The 4^th Summit of the regional body will also sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of the BIMSTEC Grid Interconnections.

It will pave the way for further cooperation in energy sector among the member states in the BIMSTEC region. It is also believed that the grid interconnection will provide energy security in the region, share energy among the member states, and facilitate in energy generation and trading in the region.

Meanwhile, President of Myanmar Win Myint arrived Kathmandu on Tuesday. The is the first head of the government to arrive here to participate in the summit. He will participate in the BIMSTEC Summit and pay a bilateral visit to Nepal simultaneously. He is also scheduled to visit Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha.

This is the high level visit from Myanmar after 1997. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 29 August 2018.