- विज्ञापन -
Dhaka: The 25th Session of the BIMSTEC Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) began today in Bangkok, Thailand, as a precursor to the 6th BIMSTEC Summit scheduled for April 4, 2025. A five-member delegation from Bangladesh, led by Foreign Secretary Ambassador Md. Jashim Uddin, is participating in the meeting, as reported by the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.
During the session, Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin addressed the attendees, highlighting progress in the sector of “Trade, Investment, and Development, including the Blue Economy,” where Bangladesh serves as the Lead Country. He urged member states to fully cooperate in finalizing six critical agreements under the Framework Agreement on the BIMSTEC Free Trade Area (FTA): agreements on Trade in Goods, Rules of Origin, Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters, Dispute Settlement Procedures and Mechanisms, Trade Facilitation, Investment, and Trade in Services. He emphasized that realizing the FTA is essential for the collective economic growth of the region.
The meeting also included a review of reports from meetings held since the last Senior Officials’ Meeting, including the Report of the Eminent Persons’ Group (EPG) on BIMSTEC’s future direction. Additionally, discussions were held regarding the progress of BIMSTEC’s specialized centres, such as the BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate and the establishment of the BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence on Tropical Medicine.
The Senior Officials prepared for upcoming high-level engagements, finalizing the draft Provisional Agenda and draft Report for the Twentieth BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting scheduled for tomorrow. They also completed the draft Provisional Agenda and draft Declaration for the Sixth BIMSTEC Summit, ensuring consensus on key issues prior to the event.
Bangladesh is set to host the 26th Session of the BIMSTEC Senior Officials’ Meeting in Dhaka, reinforcing its commitment to enhancing regional cooperation and economic integration among BIMSTEC nations.
