Fourth Summit of Heads of State/Government of Bay of Bengal Initiativefor Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) will be held atKathmandu in Nepal on August 30 and 31. Nepal’s Foreign Affairs Ministrysaid, all member states of BIMSTEC have confirmed their participation in theSummit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the summit. This wasstated by India’s Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri in Kathmandu. During the two-day Summit, leaders of member states will review progressachieved so far in the areas of cooperation and provide guidance to the futurework of the BIMSTEC. The President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari will meetleaders of BIMSTEC member states and host a luncheon in their honour on August30.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will host a dinner and a cultural programmein the same evening. Next day the leaders will witness signing ceremony of thelegal instrument of BIMSTEC and consider the draft Kathmandu Declaration of theSummit. Prior to the Summit, the Nineteenth Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) andthe Sixteenth Ministerial Meeting of BIMSTEC will be held on August 28 and29 in Kathmandu.
BIMSTEC is a regional economic bloc comprising seven member states lyingin the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting acontiguous regional unity. The group was formed in 1997 and it brings togetherBangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka Myanmar and Thailand. Nepal is thecurrent chair of BIMSTEC.
