Bangkok Hosts Indian Ocean Meet

· Financial Rules and Secretariat Planned

· The Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation among the BIMSTEC Member States initiated by India has been approved

Minister of State for External Affairs and Education, Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh participated in the 19th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting hosted by Chair Thailand virtually from Bangkok on 9 March, 2023.

During the meeting, in pursuance of the directions from the 2016 Leaders’ Retreat, 4th BIMSTEC Summit and 5th BIMSTEC Summit, the Ministers approved several documents:

(a) Rules of Procedure for Core BIMSTEC Mechanisms, Sectoral BIMSTEC Mechanisms and BIMSTEC’s External Relations were approved for submission to the Sixth BIMSTEC Summit. The preparation was enabled by the contribution announced by Hon’ble Prime Minister during the 5th BIMSTEC Summit in Colombo towards institution building mechanisms. Accordingly, BIMSTEC Secretariat was authorized to anchor several meetings that brought the BIMSTEC Rules of Procedure into fruition.

(b) Subsequent to Hon’ble Prime Minister’s announcement at the 5th BIMSTEC Summit of reviving the BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate, the 19th Meeting approved the draft Host Country Agreement between the Government of the Republic of India and the BIMSTEC Secretariat for establishing BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate in India.

(c) As per Leaders’ direction during the 2016 Retreat, the Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation among the BIMSTEC Member States initiated by India has been approved by the meeting for signature during the Sixth BIMSTEC Summit.

(d) The Meeting also approved the Terms of Reference for an Eminent Person’s Group on the Future Directions of BIMSTEC which were finalized under the special scheme for institution building announced by Hon’ble Prime Minister during the 5th Summit in Colombo.

(e) The Meeting also approved the BIMSTEC Bangkok Vision 2030 which would be launched at the 6th BIMSTEC Summit.

(f) The Meeting approved Administrative and Disciplinary Rules of the Secretariat and amended Financial Rules and Regulations of the BIMSTEC Secretariat which will enable expenditure by the Secretariat throughout the financial year with an approved budget.

New Delhi/March 09, 2023