Nepal shares status of progress in People-to-People Contact Forums under BIMSTEC

Kathmandu, December 20 — Acting Foreign Secretary, Amrit Bahadur Rai led a Nepali delegation to the Twenty Fourth Session of Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) held virtually from Bangkok on Thursday.

Mr. Paisan Rupanichkij, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand - current BIMSTEC Chair- chaired the Session which was attended by Foreign Secretaries and other high officials of BIMSTEC Member States, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a press release.

Delivering his Statement in the Session, Acting foreign Secretary Rai reiterated Nepal's firm commitments to the vision, objectives of BIMSTEC Charter; highlighted key regional cooperation achievements; and shared status of progress made in People-to-People Contact Sector and its Sub-Sectors Culture, Tourism, Poverty Alleviation as well as People-to-People Contact Forums, of which Nepal is a head County.

 Acting Foreign Secretary underscored the need to effectively implement existing legal instruments; work together for equitable climate financing; and enhance connectivity, institutionalization process within BIMSTEC.

The Session considered various Memorandums of Understanding, Reports, Plans of Action on cooperation in agreed priority sectors and recommended these policy documents for endorsement by next BIMSTEC Ministerial meeting.

The Session also dwelt on other preparatory works leading up to the Sixth BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, Thailand ahead.

Overall, this Session reviewed progresses in regional collaboration in BIMSTEC format and concluded with adoption of its Report.