Sri Lanka Proposes Mineral Mapping in BIMSTEC to Boost Regional Cooperation

Sri Lanka's state minister for foreign affairs, Tharaka Balasuriya, proposed a mechanism for mapping mineral resources within the BIMSTEC countries at the 2nd BIMSTEC Ministerial Retreat. The retreat focused on enhancing cooperation in areas such as security, connectivity, trade, and investment within the Bay of Bengal region.

Sri Lanka has called for the establishment of a mechanism within the seven-nation BIMSTEC grouping to map the region's mineral resources. This proposal came from Sri Lanka's state minister for foreign affairs, Tharaka Balasuriya, during the 2nd BIMSTEC Ministerial Retreat hosted by India.

The Sri Lankan foreign ministry mentioned in a press release that the retreat, which convened the foreign ministers of the BIMSTEC nations, provided an informal platform to explore ways to bolster security, connectivity, trade, and investment in the Bay of Bengal.

Balasuriya highlighted the necessity of creating a system within BIMSTEC to map the plentiful mineral resources within the region. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) was founded in June 1997 and includes Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and India.

(With inputs from agencies.)