External Affairs Minister S M Krishna arrived here today to attend the meeting of the seven-nation BIMSTEC that will focus on jointly combating terrorism and promoting free trade. "We have already identified 14 areas of cooperation which include health, energy, technology, human resource development, trade, tourism and culture," Krishna told reporters accompanying him to Myanmar.
At the 12th ministerial meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral, Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) at the new Myanmar capital of Nay Pyi Taw, Krishna will hand over the Chairmanship of the group to Myanmar. India has been the chair since 2004.
The ministers of seven countries are expected to finalise regional convention to expand counter-terror cooperation and promote trade, connectivity and popular contacts in the region. BIMSTEC comprises India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
"BIMSTEC is a bridge between South Asia and South East Asia," Krishna said.
Four pacts related to the establishment of BIMSTEC Energy Centre, centre for weather and climate, cultural industries observatory and cultural industries, as well as cooperation against international crime are expected to be signed.
Krishna is also expected to meet his counterparts from Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting.
"I am looking forward to my meetings with my counterparts from BIMSTEC member nations. We attach highest importance to BIMSTEC and the Look East Policy," he said. "I hope this meeting is going to bring us all further closer to each other," he said.
India had hosted the BIMSTEC meet in November last year.
The Senior Officials Meeting, which concluded yesterday, also finalised two Memoranda of Association for establishment of the BIMSTEC Energy Centre and the BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate. The also agreed on signing the Memorandum of Understanding on establishment of the BIMSTEC Cultural Industries Commission and the BIMSTEC Cultural Industries Observatory.
"We encouraged the member states to sign the remaining three documents at the earliest," a joint statement adopted at the end of the meeting said. The foreign ministers welcomed the finalisation of the agreement on trade in goods and asked the negotiators to reach an understanding on the annexes at the earliest.
The ministers took note of the ongoing talks on the Agreements on Services and Investment under BIMSTEC FTA, and urged the member states to conclude them as soon as possible.
Climate change has emerged as the new area of cooperation among the BIMSTEC member nations and the leaders. "We are confident that the inclusion of this new area of cooperation will contribute significantly to the joint efforts on the mitigation and adaptation to climate change in the BIMSTEC region," the joint statement said.
The ministers also agreed to enhance cooperation in the areas of transport and communication, tourism, energy, technology fisheries, poverty alleviation, agriculture, environment and disaster management and public health.
A BIMSTEC meeting on the Network of National Centres of Coordination in Traditional Medicine is scheduled to be held in Thailand next year.
