BIMSTEC Summit will be very fruitful to achieve sustainable development: PM Oli

Kathmandu, Aug 28.  Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that fourth Summit of BIMSTEC would be very fruitful to achieve sustainable development through poverty alleviation, to face challenges surfaced from climate change and to expand connectivity.

Prime Minister Oli said so while briefing the House of Representatives about the fourth Summit of BIMSTEC taking place on August 30 and 31 in Kathmandu.

He said, “The Summit will be very useful to make BIMSTEC effective, to face changes seen in the environment sector, to achieve sustainable development goals, to expand connectivity to ease movement among the people of BIMSTEC-member states and to increase partnership and cooperation.”

Saying BIMSTEC Summit is the first big programme going to be organised by the incumbent government after constitution implementation and holding the three-tier of elections, the Prime Minister said, “Economic prosperity of the people of this region, expansion of road network and construction of Buddhist Circuit has been expected.”

Nepal has assumed the chairmanship of BIMSTEC since 2014. Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bhutan and Thailand are member countries of BIMSTEC. The fourth Summit of BIMSTEC is taking place under the theme, ‘Towards a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable Bay of Bengal region’.

Stating that the BIMSTEC summit that ought to be held every two years has only held for four times since its establishment in 1997, PM Oli said that Nepal is effortful to make the upcoming summit a success although Nepal ought to hold it little earlier.
He reasoned that the delay surrounding the holding the summit was due to constitution promulgation and three-tier elections among others in the country.
The first summit of BIMSTEC, a sub regional body of seven countries surrounding the Bay of Bengal, was held in Thailand in 2004. There are 14 areas of cooperation determined by the BIMSTEC.
PM Oli said that the BIMSTEC, acknowledging the fact that it should not be a mere organization but should work as an effective organization for regional development and cooperation, has optimized its areas of cooperation such as in climate change, poverty alleviation, promoting Himalayan economy, counter-terrorism among others following the its summit in Dhaka.
Oli shared that formal meeting among the Heads of the States and Head of the Government of the member countries arriving Nepal to take part in the summit would be held on the sidelines of the summit while matters of mutual cooperation would be discussed during the meetings.
Furthermore, the PM shared that the meetings between President Bidya Devi Bhandari and the Heads of the Government and Heads of the States are scheduled during the summit.
On a different note, PM Oli asserted that Nepal, as a member nation of SAARC, was also wishing the next SAARC summit to be held at the earliest.