Staff Correspondent:

Bangladesh on Wednesday urged the BIMSTEC Member States to extend their full cooperation to ensure timely finalization of six constituent agreements.

These are on trade in goods of the framework agreement on the BIMSTEC Free Trade Area, Rules of Origin, Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters, Dispute Settlement Procedures and Mechanism, Trade Facilitation, Investment and Trade in Services, as Bangladesh says the realisation of the FTA is paramount for the region’s collective economic advancement.

The 25th session of the BIMSTEC Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) began in Bangkok, Thailand preceding the 6th BIMSTEC Summit on April 4.

A five-member Bangladesh delegation led by Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin participated in the Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM), said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Foreign Secretary delivered a statement on the progress of the Sector ‘Trade, Investment and Development including Blue Economy’, for which Bangladesh is the Lead Country.

The meeting deliberated on the reports of the meetings held since the last Senior Officials’ Meeting including the Report of the Eminent Persons’ Group (EPG) on the Future Direction.

The meeting considered outcomes relating to BIMSTEC’s Centres including the BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate and the establishment of the BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence on Tropical Medicine.

In preparation for upcoming high-level engagements, the Senior Officials discussed and finalized the draft Provisional Agenda and draft Report of the Twentieth BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting to be held tomorrow.

The Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) also finalized the draft Provisional Agenda and draft Declaration of the Sixth BIMSTEC Summit.

Bangladesh will host the 26th Session of the BIMSTEC Senior Officials’ Meeting in Dhaka.