TUESDAY, March 19, 2024
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Leaders endorse greater cooperation in 14 priority areas

Leaders endorse greater cooperation in 14 priority areas

Leaders of BIMSTEC member countries agreed to deepen cooperation in the fourteen priority areas to boost intra-regional trade and investment and tourism.

Each member state is designated to lead the areas of cooperation. Myanmar is the lead country in the sectors of energy and agriculture.
“The essence of the Declaration (issued by the Summit) is the political will demonstrated by the leaders of BIMSTEC member states to deepen our cooperation in the 14 priority areas,” said President Thein Sein said at a press briefing on Tuesday during the third BIMSTEC Summit.
The 14 areas in focus are technology; energy; transportation and communication; tourism; fisheries; agriculture; cultural cooperation; environment and disaster management; public health; people-to-people contact; poverty alleviation; counter-terrorism and transnational crime; and climate change.
“In order to reduce time and cost for transportation among the BIMSTEC member states, the phase-I study on BIMSTEC Transport Infrastructure and Logistic has already been conducted. Now we are trying to identify the implementable project as phase-II,” the president added.
The study is being conducted with the support of the Asian Development Bank, whose Head of Extended Mission in Myanmar Putu M.Kamayana also attended the summit.
“As we are able to establish the Secretariat now, we believe that our cooperation activities will be more effective and efficient,” Thein Sein said, referring to the leaders’ approval to the establishment of the BIMSTEC Secretariat in Bangladesh. 
His view was echoed by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Myanmar’s Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin.
“I am confident that the BIMSTEC Permanent Secretariat would generate the momentum necessary for the implementation of all our decisions and the agreed agenda. I am happy that Dhaka was chosen as its seat,” said PM Hasina during the summit.
“One of the fruitful outcomes of the summit is the establishment of the Secretariat,” said Wunna Maung Lwin.
The sub-regional group covers Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan and India.
Bhutan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also welcomed the Secretariat by hailing it as a historic milestone for the organisation. Bangladesh Ambassador Sumit Nakandala from Sri Lanka became the first Secretary-General of the organisation.
The leaders also agreed to implement the BIMSTEC Poverty Plan of Action and welcomed Sri Lanka’s offer to host the Third Ministerial Meeting on Poverty Alleviation during the first half of 2014. Under this agreement, they will enhance cooperation in expanding skill and technology base of member states through collaborations and partnerships targeted towards micro, small and medium scale enterprises and decide to accelerate efforts for the early finalisation of the Memorandum of Association on the establishment of BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility. 
Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Permanent Secretary at Thailand ’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in an exclusive that the Third BIMSTEC Summit came at a very good time because BIMSTEC is becoming the engine of global economic growth.
“ASEAN is becoming the ASEAN Community. South Asia becomes more integrated than ever before. BIMSTEC stands as the link between South Asia and Southeast Asia. So there is a lot of potential which has not yet been realised . So at this summit, it is important for us to think ahead, and to try to forge our vision for the future of BIMSTEC,” said the official, who attended the summit on behalf of Thailand’s caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. 
The Special Envoy also emphasised the need to find what is most important beyond the specific areas of cooperation.
“We believe that what we have to do at the Summit is to look ahead, to reintegrate the partnership, to really identify what are the key areas that we have to work together. That is why we think it is a very important meeting,” he said.
“I think the important issue we should discuss at the BIMSTEC is Connectivity. We should be better connected specifically in terms of rules and regulations, to ensure (that) people can go and invest across borders. We have moved to the free trade agreement. We have to promote cooperation to bring our people together for people-to-people tie. We have to cooperation in important issues for people like education, poverty alleviation, and health. These are the key issues we should be working together.”
Sihasak sees the BIMSTEC Summit as an opportunity for the host country Myanmar.
“The hosting of this summit is also an important opportunity to raise the profile of Myanmar. It is an excellent opportunity to showcase the progress that Myanmar has made in terms of political and economic reforms,” said Sihasak.
On the reforms undertaken by the Thein Sein administration, he said, “All of us very much welcome the phases of reforms taking place in Myanmar now. We see these reforms will lead to greater stability to create progress and prosperity for Myanmar. And Thailand is very much satisfied with your reform process.”
 
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