Talks on to set agendas for BIMSTEC Summit

MNA Business Desk: Foreign secretary level officials of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) member states held a pre-summit meeting in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Chaired by Nepal Foreign Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi, foreign secretaries from the member countries are holding discussion to prepare the agendas for the 4th BIMSTEC Summit slated for August 30 and 31.

The meeting will also prepare a draft for Kathmandu Declaration that will be endorsed by a ministerial-level meeting slated for Wednesday, reported news agency.

Besides, the meeting will discuss issues related to clustering the areas of co-operation or downsizing them, strengthening the BIMSTEC Secretariat in Dhaka, and reviewing past achievements by the group, said Foreign Ministry Assistant Spokesperson Rambabu Dhakal.

Other agendas include making BIMSTEC effective and result-oriented, institutional reforms and consolidation, and opening up regional centres on a number of topics that officials have been working on.