As per reports, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held significant meetings with his counterparts from Nepal and Bangladesh during his visit to the capital of Thailand. They emphasized the importance of working closely together to effectively implement the agreed agenda of cooperation set by their respective leaderships.

The discussions also encompassed sharing views on regional matters of relevance. Furthermore, Jaishankar’s active participation in the BIMSTEC retreat further added value to his diplomatic engagements during his visit.

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional grouping consisting of India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan. Collectively, these seven countries have a population of approximately 1.73 billion and a combined gross domestic product exceeding USD 4 trillion. “Good meeting with Nepal Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud. Agreed to work closely to implement the agenda of cooperation set out by our leaderships. Look forward to remaining in touch,” Jaishankar tweeted along with pictures. “Pleased to meet Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abdul Momen. Discussed ongoing bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Also exchanged views on regional issues,” he tweeted. During his visit, Jaishankar paid a courtesy call to Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, where he conveyed warm greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Honoured to call on Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, along with my colleagues from BIMSTEC countries. Conveyed greetings and good wishes of PM @narendramodi. Shared with him our commitment to further strengthen BIMSTEC,” he tweeted. In a productive meeting, Jaishankar engaged in discussions with his counterparts from the BIMSTEC region, focusing on the shared objective of strengthening resilience and coordination among the member countries to foster growth and prosperity. BIMSTEC, established in 1997, serves as an economic and technical initiative that promotes multifaceted cooperation among the countries in the Bay of Bengal region. It was announced that Bangladesh would assume the role of the new chair of the seven-nation grouping in December, coinciding with India’s appointment as the secretary-general of BIMSTEC following the summit scheduled to take place in Thailand on November 30.

(Source – ANI)