New Delhi [India], July 11 : The State Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka Tharaka Balasuriya arrived in New Delhi on Thursday to attend the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Foreign Minister's Retreat.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will host his counterparts for the 2nd BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers' Retreat in New Delhi on July 11-12.
The Retreat will present an opportunity for the Foreign Ministers of BIMSTEC nations to discuss avenues to broaden and deepen cooperation in various sectors, including security, connectivity, trade and investment, people-to-people contacts, etc in the Bay of Bengal region and littoral, according to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Foreign ministers and top officials from BIMSTEC nations, including Thailand's Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, Nepal's Foreign Secretary Sewa Lamsal, Bhutan's Foreign Minister DN Dhungyel, and Myanmar's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister U Than Swe have also arrived in the national capital to attend the retreat.
In a press release, the MEA said, "The Retreat will present an opportunity for the Foreign Ministers of the BIMSTEC countries to discuss, in an informal setting, avenues to broaden and deepen cooperation across various sectors including in the fields of security, connectivity, trade and investment, people to people contacts etc, in the Bay of Bengal region and littoral."
The first edition of the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers' Retreat was held in Thailand's Bangkok on 17 July 2023.
The MEA noted, "BIMSTEC brings together seven countries of South and South East Asia for multifaceted cooperation."
BIMSTEC is a regional organization that connects countries around the Bay of Bengal to promote economic growth, trade, and cooperation in areas like transportation, energy, and counter-terrorism.
It aims to strengthen relationships and foster economic development among its member states, which include- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
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