BIMSTEC Summit: Nepal Foreign Affairs Minister, member countries sign Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation

Bangkok [Thailand], April 4 (ANI): Nepal Foreign Affairs Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and foreign ministers of BIMSTEC member countries signed the Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation during the summit in Bangkok on Thursday.

The foreign ministers of Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar signed the agreement.

In a post on X, Nepal's Foreign Affairs Minister said, "The Signing Ceremony of the Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation during the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok."

"Attended the BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, reaffirming Nepal's commitment to strengthening regional cooperation. Productive discussions on connectivity, trade, and sustainable development to advance BIMSTEC's shared vision," he said in an another post on X.

Earlier, Deuba expressed her commitment to regional cooperation and emphasised the need for a stronger political will to "realize a Prosperous, Resilient, and Open BIMSTEC." She also urged for the implementation of Bangkok Vision 2030.

She further called for greater cooperation on climate change and disaster preparedness, specifically welcoming India's initiative to establish the BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence in Disaster Management.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the BIMSTEC dinner in Bangkok on Thursday evening. He was received by Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

Bangladesh Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus and Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli were among other leaders present at the BIMSTEC dinner.

On Thursday, PM Modi held a bilateral meeting with the Thailand PM. This was the second meeting between the two leaders. PM Modi had earlier met her on the margins of the ASEAN Summit in Vientiane in October last year.

They reviewed the progress in the entire gamut of bilateral relations and ways to add greater momentum to the India-Thailand bilateral partnership, and also exchanged views on the regional and multilateral issues. They witnessed the signing of several bilateral documents. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)