But ministers said the proposed office for the nine-year-old forum should not be too large or put a financial burden on members.

Bimstec stands for the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Coope-ration. Its members are Bang-ladesh, Bhutan, India, Burma, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Foreign ministers met yesterday in New Delhi for the ninth time.

Thailand's caretaker Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamong-khon said the grouping already had the Bimstec Centre in Bangkok. "The grouping is in need of a secretariat, but not immediately. The office, if established, should not be too large or cause financial troubles," he said.

The meeting also agreed that more people-to-people contact should be promoted through culture and entertainment.

Kantathi suggested launching a Bimstec film festival. "India alone produces about 800 movies a year. A film festival would help us to understand one another," he said.

It was agreed that Bimstec countries should have more transport links by road, air and sea, with the Asian Development Bank providing financial assistance for the projects.

Members will meet to discuss a Thai proposal to hold joint fishery surveys to assess the capacity of stocks. Touching on alleviation of poverty, Kantathi said Thailand would be pleased to share its experiences in implementing His Majesty the King's philosophy of a sufficiency economy, which had helped to improve the lives of the country's rural and urban poor.

Marisa Chimprabha

The Nation

New Delhi