Nepal PM Deuba stresses on importance of cooperation among BIMSTEC nations

Nepal's Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Monday stressed on the importance of unity, solidarity and cooperation among the BIMSTEC member states to address the challenges facing the region and promote the economic partnership.

Extending greetings to peoples and governments of the BIMSTEC Member States on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the seven-nation regional grouping, Prime Minister Deuba said that the organisation must be enabled to realise the regional aspirations of peace, development, and prosperity.

''In the context of the severe fallouts of the COVID-19 pandemic on lives, livelihoods, and economies, the urgency to speed up regional cooperation has never been so critical and the need to translate our commitment into action never so compelling,” he said.

In a separate message, Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka called for necessary political will to reinvigorate the BIMSTEC process and make this year a momentous anniversary year, with a renewed resolve, concerted actions, and concrete outcomes.

He said that the initiatives of institutional strengthening that started during the Fourth Summit held in Kathmandu in 2018 had culminated in the recent Fifth Summit held in Colombo. Khadka also underscored the need to ensure the timely and effective implementation of the BIMSTEC agreements to realise the shared goals of peace and prosperity.

The BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) comprises India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan.