BIMSTEC an opportunity to present 'just, inclusive' Bangladesh

Bangladesh sees this year's BIMSTEC Summit, scheduled to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 4, "very important" for the country as it will assume the chairmanship of the grouping for the next two years.

Dhaka also thinks the summit will provide them with an opportunity to present a "just and inclusive" Bangladesh in South and Southeast Asia, officials said this week.

The 6th Summit of the Heads of State or Governments of the member States of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) will be preceded by a meeting of BIMSTEC senior officials on April 2 and a meeting of BIMSTEC Foreign or External Affairs Ministers on April 3.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus is scheduled to leave for Bangkok on April 3, his Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder told UNB yesterday.

Prior to this year's BIMSTEC Summit, the chief adviser will deliver a keynote speech at the forum titled "BIMSTEC Young Generation Forum: Where the Future Meets" on April 3.

The theme of the 6th summit, which is being held three years after the 5th summit (Virtual, Colombo, 30 March 2022), is "Prosperous, Resilient, and Open BIMSTEC".

The summit, which aims at fostering collaboration among the member states to address the shared security and developmental challenges, will provide a new impetus to the efforts underway

to realise the goal of a prosperous, resilient and open BIMSTEC, according to the BIMSTEC Secretariat.

Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin said the summit will further "strengthen and deepen" the relationship between Bangladesh and other BIMSTEC member states and will play an important role in advancing regional peace and development.

"It goes without saying that this 6th BIMSTEC Summit is a new step for the new Bangladesh in the regional arena through BIMSTEC," he said, hoping that the 6th BIMSTEC Summit will be successful.

The foreign secretary will participate in the 25th BIMSTEC senior officials' meeting and the foreign adviser will participate in the 20th BIMSTEC ministerial meeting.

There is a possibility of signing an agreement on 'Maritime Transport cooperation' between BIMSTEC member states at the 6th BIMSTEC Summit, said the foreign secretary. This agreement is expected to help enhance regional economic and trade relations by strengthening commercial shipping and maritime transport, he said.