BIMSTEC Ministerial Conference : BIMSTEC Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation Signed

BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers Sign Maritime Transport Cooperation Agreement

• Foreign Ministers of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) have signed the BIMSTEC Maritime Transport Cooperation Agreement, marking a significant milestone in strengthening regional connectivity.

• The agreement was signed ahead of the 20th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting held in Bangkok, Thailand, on Thursday morning.

• Bangladesh's Foreign Affairs Adviser, Touhid Hossain, participated in the meeting and reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to collective peace, progress, and prosperity under the BIMSTEC framework.

Key Highlights:

• The Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Adviser emphasized the importance of tangible and result-oriented cooperation, including the effective implementation of the BIMSTEC Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to boost intra-regional trade.

• He also raised concerns regarding the 1.2 million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and stressed the need for a conducive environment in Myanmar to facilitate their safe and dignified repatriation.

• BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers finalized the draft Provisional Agenda for the upcoming Sixth BIMSTEC Summit and the Summit Declaration, which will be considered at the summit scheduled for Friday, April 4.

• It was agreed that the 21st BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting will be held in Dhaka.

• The meeting concluded with the adoption of the report of the 20th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting.