The 18th session of the BIMSTEC senior official level meeting kicked off in Kathmandu on Thursday. The two-day meeting will set the agenda for the 15th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting scheduled for August 11. 

Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Shanker Das Bairagi is leading the Nepali delegation at the meeting. 

Likewise, Indian team is led by Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs, Preeti Saran, Bhutanese team by Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sonam Tshong and Bangladeshi team by Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohammad Shahidul Haque. 

Similarly, Director General of the International Organisation and Economic Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar, U Kyaw Moe Tun is representing Myanmar while Sri Lankan team is led by Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Grace Aasirwathan and Thai team by Deputy Director General of the Department of International Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms Eksiri Pintaruchi. 

Established 30 years ago, countries like Nepal, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand are members. Its Secretariat is based in Dhaka, the Capital city of Bangladesh. 

The meeting will deliberate on 14 different themes identified by BIMSTEC including trade, investment, transport and communication, energy, tourism, agriculture, counter-terrorism, poverty alleviation, public health, environment and natural disasters and climate change. 

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is scheduled to inaugurate and address the minister-level meeting this evening. Also this evening the foreign and external affairs ministers of the member countries will collectively pay courtesy call on the Prime Minister. 

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Krishna Bahadur Mahara will lead the Nepali team in the minister-level meeting of BIMSTEC which is in the 20th year of its establishment. 

DPM Mahara will also organise a dinner in honour of the participating delegates on Thursday evening alone. 

Nepal assumed the chairmanship of BIMSTEC, the sub-regional organisation of seven countries of south and south-east Asia, in 2014. RSS