BIMSTEC ministers aim to forge new ties

The ministers from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand, as part of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec), will be discussing methods of cooperation in 13 sectors, including transportation, energy, tourism, terrorism, trade and investment.

The meeting, which takes place on Friday (Aug 29), will highlight India's proposal to establish a joint weather and climate centre as well as an energy centre, said International Economic Affair Department deputy director-general Surasak Chuasukonthip.

The issues of global climate change and the food and energy crises will also be discussed, since both regions have the potential and resources to produce alternative energy, he said.

Established in 1997, Bimstec was formerly named using the first initial of its founding members - Bangladesh, India, Myanmar (Burma), Sri Lanka and Thailand - but the name was changed to reflect the nature of cooperation during the first Bangkok summit in 2004.

Bimstec also aims to build land links connecting South and Southeast Asia, but there are no clear plans for this yet.

The Asian Development Bank has been invited to study and lay out a master plan for the linkage, and should be presenting its report at the meeting, Surasak said.

The bank was given this job because it has already successfully helped countries in the Mekong basin develop infrastructure for economic linkage, he added.

Thailand, as an active member of the group, will be putting forward an idea to set up a Bimstec Secretariat Office and will push for the completion of a free-trade agreement, because negotiations for this are progressing very slowly, Surasak said.

 The meeting this week will also consider the possibility of holding a second Bimstec summit in the middle of November, he said.