Bangkok [Thailand], April 2 : The 25th Meeting of Senior Officials of BIMSTEC took place in Bangkok, marking a key step in preparations for the upcoming 6th BIMSTEC Summit. India's Secretary (East) P Kumaran participated in the discussions, which focused on cooperation across various sectors and finalising the agenda for the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers' Meeting on April 3, followed by the main Summit on April 4.
Randhir Jaiswal, the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), confirmed the developments on X, stating, "The 25th Meeting of Senior Officials of BIMSTEC was held today in Bangkok. Secretary (East) P. Kumaran participated in the meeting. The Meeting discussed the progress in the identified sectors of cooperation & the preparation of the 20th Meeting of the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers scheduled on 3 April 2025 & the 6th BIMSTEC Summit scheduled on 4 April 2025 in Bangkok."
https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1907352753686626774
The Thai capital is gearing up to host the summit with full-fledged preparations. Flags of all seven BIMSTEC member statesBangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailandare prominently displayed across the city, alongside billboards and hoardings marking the event. The summit, themed BIMSTECProsperous, Resilient and Open, will focus on enhancing regional cooperation in trade, security, and connectivity.
BIMSTEC was established on June 6, 1997, through the Bangkok Declaration, with Thailand playing a foundational role. The organisation connects South and Southeast Asian nations with shared economic and cultural ties dating back centuries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Thailand to attend the summit and hold bilateral discussions with his Thai counterpart, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, on April 3. This will be his third visit to Thailand, following his attendance at the 2019 ASEAN and East Asia Summit in Bangkok and a stopover in 2016 to pay homage to the late King Rama IX.
Thailand holds strategic significance for India as a maritime neighbor and a key partner in the Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific Vision. It is the third-largest economy in ASEAN and India's fourth-largest trading partner in the region, following Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The upcoming summit is expected to strengthen regional ties and advance economic cooperation among BIMSTEC nations.
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