KATHMANDU: The 16th ministerial meeting of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) has commenced this morning. Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, who is heading the meeting being held in Soaltee Crowne Plaza, inaugurated the event and welcomed his counterparts. The Foreign/External Affairs Ministers of other BIMSTEC member nations will make their statements in the meeting, Rastriya Samachar Samiti reported. The meeting is expected to see the presentation of reports by the Secretary General of BIMSTEC and reports of the Special and 19th Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM). Similarly, the meeting will brief on preparations for the Fourth BIMSTEC Summit, and finalise BIMSTEC Convention/MoU ready for signature as well as draft of Kathmandu Declaration of the Fourth BIMSTEC Summit. The meeting will adopt the Report of the 16th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated. Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, Minister of State for External Affairs of India VK Singh, Union Minister of International Cooperation of Myanmar Kyaw Tin, Sri Lankan State Minister of Foreign Affairs Vasantha Senanayake, Foreign Minister of Thailand Don Pramudwinai, and Bhutanese Foreign Secretary Sonam Tshong are leading the delegations from their respective countries in the meeting. Bhutan has delegated the pro tem authority to Foreign Secretary Tshong to participate in the ministerial meeting in context of the announcement of general elections there. READ ALSO:

• BIMSTEC Senior Officials’ Meeting begins